davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
We Have a Riqht to Know

If achievement tests in Washington
public schools indicated an above-average
attainment, as compared with similar
tests in other cities Of the country, we
have no doubt that the results would be
made public promptly. They would re-
fleet standards of successful instruction
that would be the source of considerable
pride on the part of school officials.
The results of such tests, conducted
last March, cannot be the source Of great
pride. Among the showings were that
Washington ninth-grade children were
below the normS established elsewhere in
such subjects as arithmetic, reading, So
cial concepts, natural expression and
English expression. Such results were
not made public through official school
channels. They were being kept under
wraps, until an unauthorized" leak
made them available for publication.
The Stars investigation Of the cir
cumstances-reported elsewhere in to-
days paper-reveals sharp difference
of opinion in school circles as to whether
such results should be made public or
withheld under the existing policy OF
secrecy favored by Superintendent OF
Schools Corning. This policy should be
reviewed by the Board of Education and
abandoned. The public has every right
to know the relative standards achieved
in our public school system. A policy Of
secrecy in such matters, with the knowl-
edge Of test results closely confined to
school officials, is without justification.
Public school business Is public business
In a very real sense. We trust that the
Board Of Education will intervene and
change the policy. There Is no hope OF
raising academic standards by treating
them as official secrets.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
Timesoyers for Motorists

While WaShington'S bypass (belt
road) program is making slow progress,
cities to north and south of us are speed
ing highway projects that will enable
north-south traffic to avoid congeSted
urban streets. Baltimore's tunnel is well
under way, despite weather setbacks. And
Virginia's new Richmond Petersburg
Turnpike Authority is ready to start con-
struction soon of 35-mile toll road that
will skirt through-trafic around the two
Southern cities at top legal speed. All
of this is good news to touring motorists
generally.
The Richmond Petersburg Turnpike
project has received less publicity than
the Baltimore harbor bypass program,
although the Virginia undertaking will be
a timesaver of major Importance to pas
senger cars and trucks. The engineers
estimate that the four-lane expressway
can be traversed in 38 minutes at safe
speed. 1t will spare motorists the annoy
ance of 81 traffic lights and city-limit
speeds in Richmond and Petersburg. The
project authorized by the past General
Assembly, will be self-liquidating through
a toll schedule varying from Is cents to
so cents, according to length OF trip.
Trucks will pay higher rates, OF course,
but it is estimated that nearly 81 per cent
of the tolls will be collected from pasSen-
ger cars.
AS our neighboring cities pave the
way for speedier travel by motor tourists.
the urgency Of completing our own by
passes will increase. The Washington
Baltimore Parkway eventually is to con-
meet with a new bridge across the
Potomac River at Alexandria. The Wash
ington National Pike maryland Route
240) will feed traffic into the proposed belt
highway around the city. The belt route
also will lead to the Alexandria bridge.
Downtown traffic congestion should be
materially relieved when facilities are
available for the diverting OF through
traffic around the Capital.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28

mortal must put on immor-
tally. and this corruptible
must put on interruption" than
that he should have had his
own way in finally getting to
Spain.
The important thing is not
that we should reach any castle
which has lured us. but that we
shall find our fullest fruition.
as Paul did, in being faithful
to the common tasks and triv-
ial rounds.
A dear friend of mine has
written this: Few people have
a chance to live on the basis OF
their choice. A large majority
of us have to settle for some
thing less than what we want.
And for many that is q major
problem of life. So, II we are
not prepared for anything but
getting where we want to get
that is, If we have no phnos-
ophy for failure-we are not
ready to face the most normal
issues Of life"
We would have things differ
emit II we could. We raise ques-
tons, as did the little boy who
wanted to know why vitamins
are always put in spinach and
never in ice cream. where they
should be. Why are we COM
PEELED to stay tied to one place
on the ground when we would
rather have the wings Of a bird
and head toward Spain? But
perhaps the final record will
show us that it's our fights. and
not our flights, that determine
our destiny.
1t was when he realized that
he would never reach his
Spain" that Henry F. Lyle
wrote a great hymn which has
blessed the world, in which are
the lines:
Perish every fond ambition,
All Tue sought or hoped or
EnotDn;:
Yet hotu rich is my condi-
ton:
God and heauen are still
my otCn.
The secret of life's glory is
not in reaching some distant
Spain, but to do the work
that's nearest, though it's dull
at whites"
Whenever I take my jour-
ney to Spain / will come to
you. But now-now-now-1
must 60 to Jerusalem to min
ister."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
East and West Meet

II any serious-minded geopoliticians
were doing research in Jakarta, the cap
ital of Indonesia, the other day, they
learned something that any American
father could have told them long ago.
1t Is that model electric trains are more
fascinating than almost anything else.
Furthermore, this fascination Is not felt
by American small boys only, or even by
Indonesian small boys. 1t applies to
adults, and probably OF any race or ma
tionality. 1t may even be, as New York
Times correspondent suggests, a not-so-
secret weapon of far-reaching effect IN
the cold war.
1t all came to light in Jakarta at
an international trade fair where
United States exhibit was one Of 16, in
Guiding six from behind the Iron Curtain.
Some of the exhibits were large and elab-
crate Communist China, for example,
took five times the space used for the
American diSplay-and included every
thing from heavy machine tools to tennis
rackets. Communist Czechoslavakia sent
everything from an airplane to cement
mixer. But it was the American electric
train that stopped the show" as crowds
of young and old clogged the United
States pavilion while the little fiier
whirled around it's toy tracks with signal
lights flashing and warning bells changing
at each miniature grade crossing.
There should be lesson in all this.
Perhaps Rudyard Kipling was not correct
in saying that East and West never shall
meet. And perhaps the right-of-way to
that meeting does not go through the
jungles of ideologies, but rather through
the brighter valleys Of things that please
the heart and eye without vexing the
mind.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28

! have done my duty here and
can get away with a clear
conscience. I will come to you
on my way to Spain.
Isn't 1t all so utterly human.
so very true to life? Though
hopes may be deferred they
have not been abandoned as
across the often tantalizing
years we dream of the Spain"
We still would fain reach.
Now the plain fact is that
even II our Spanish goal were
accomplished it is more than
likely that 1t would disenchant
and disillusion us. Standing
at last on its shores, we would
probably wonder why we had
banked so much on reaching it.
For realization is often more
drab than anticipation.
The point is that Gods goal
for Paul was much more glori-
Gus than reaching Spain. Had
he put his dreams ahead of his
duty he probably never would
have written those glorious
eplstles which have come down
the years like chariots of the
Lord. In the light of 1000
years 1t seems much more i'm
portant that he should have
written that matchless Love
Chapter, or the deathless This
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
LETTERS TO THE STAR

however, the amount he took
out of the surplus funds was
$3.50 a share in addition to a
$4,000 : year salary. But
what bearing has his private
income tax on what he ex-
tracted from the company's
treasury?
For one thing. I doubt very
much that anything near 80
per cent of it went to the Gov
eminent as income tax; the
way he distributed the stock
among the family and the
trust funds he established, to-
gether with his other sources
of liabilities, strongly discount
it. The material fact is that
he MIXED the transit company
for all it was worth while he
was in control.
Joseph N. Nielsen.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Castles in Spain
By REV. FREDERICK BROWN HA
Chaplain. United States Senate

Is there not some place
where 1t has always been your
secret wish to go? That is a
question asked, night after
night, across the air-wayes by
one of the great airlines. Well
take you safely. quickly and
cheaply. fulfilling your radiant
dream!
That ad plays upon an I'M
deniable craving to go places
hidden In every human heart.
Life may have taken much.
Travel permits may have been
withheld by prosaic duties.
But, as a popular song puts
1t: y can still dream. can't II"
Yes, life's subtractions have
not left one really poor If
there is still left some castle
in Spain. Paul the Apostle
desired ardently to see Spain.
He wrote to his friends in
Rome: whenever I take my
journey to Spain. / will come
to you; but now I must go
unto Jerusalem to minister to
the saints" And that task
wasn't as glamorous as 1t
sounds. It meant. as one has
put 1t, going OF to a place
where he had no special de-
sire ever to see again, to try to
help people who didn't par
ticularly want to be helped.
who would probably misunder-
stand and criticize and resent
all he tried to do for them"
But here is Paul's autobiog-
raphy: Some day Spain
but now"
So much OF life seems to
be summed up in that. Some
day-but now. Anticipated
Joy that is in the future. press
ing duty that is in the Now.
1t is a fascinating study to
watch what Paul did with the
things which came to him that
he did not want. Thorns, per-
lis, pain, opposition. they were
all woven into the shiny fabric
of a career which has gripped
the Christian centuries. But
Spain suggests the things
which did not come to him,
though he wished ardently
they would.
Castles in Spain are SYM
bols of plans never carried out.
of blue prints that proved I'M
fulfilled prophesies. A victori-
Gus life must come to terms
not only with the things that
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
FORMER President Harry {

Former President Harry B.
Truman is on on the series Of
well-advertised speeches In his
campaign to "Tear into the
Republicans" In his own
somewhat torrid language he
declares in a telephone inter-
view that II am going to re-
store the Government Of this
country to the people"
This typically modest an
nouncement has had differ
ent reactions in Democratic
circles-not all Of them favor
able. 1t is true that the or
ganized labor bosses. who exert
a dominant influence in Demo-
cratic politics and who ran
In and out Of the White House
more freely than anyone else
during the Truman admins
tration, are pleased with the
prospect. To them it means
that Mr.. Truman will supply
the real leadership Of the 1856
campaign; that the assault on
Mr.. Eisenhower win be Of the
old Truman "Give 'em hell"
type. In their view this is the
only strategy by which Steven
son or anyone else can win.
Left-Wing Applause.
Undoubtedly it will suit Sem
ators such as Morse Of Oregon,
Humphrey of Minnesota. Neu-
berger of Oregon, Gov. Men
men Williams of Michigan, Gov.
Hartman of New York. the two
Roosevelt boyS-James and
Franklin. jr.. and others of
the left-wing element who APP
pear more or less consumed
with a passionate and personal
hatred of the President. But
certainly it does not suit the
more conservative group who
revolt from the idea Of a vio-
lent campaign of allegations
and charges which cannot be
sustained. Among these the
Truman announcement that Il
am going to restore the Gov
eminent of this country to the
people" is cheap demagoguery
of the worst type. They point
out, too, that personal dispar-
agement of Mr.. Eisenhower is
not calculated to help Demo-
cratic candidates for Congress
in States where many Demo-
Gratis voted for him in 1852.
Also, they ask. who desig-
mated Mr.. Truman to open the
campaign and set the tune?
Also, they ask. why does not
Mr.. Truman, avowedly for Mr..
Stevenson, permit Mr.. Steven
son to assert himself as the
"titular leader" of the party.
or at least make the sort of
speech Mr.. Stevenson can
echo? There have, as yet,
been no adequate or satisfac-
tory answers to these queS-
lions. In their absence 1t ap-
pears that Mr.. Truman will be
the leading Democratic spokes-
man for the rest Of this year
at least until November.
which is the month Mr.. Ste
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
Drivers Please Note

As you know. the District
recently installed the first Of
it's new "Yield Right of Way"
triangular traffic signs. Checks
made of observance of these
signs indicate that many driv-
ers do not understand what is
expected of them.
The yield Right Of Way"
sign requires that the driver
of a car approaching it shall
slow down to a speed that is
reasonable and prudent under
the conditions then existing,
having regard to any actual
or potential danger. The driv-
er shall yield the right Of way
to all traffic within the inter-
section or approaching so close
as to present an immediate
danger. However. when the
driver has so yielded, he may
60 ahead and the drivers of
other cars approaching the in
tersection shall yield the right
of way to his vehicle as it
moves into or across the in
tersection.
Anthony l.. Ellison.
Traffic Safety OfflceY.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
THE GAME OF POLITICS
By FRANK R. KENT
Nj. Truman Kicks OFF Campaign

venson has said he would ex-
press himself upon the issues
as wen as upon his own can
didacy. Altogether 1t creates
q somewhat unique situation.
For example. Mr.. Stevenson
is eager for Mr.. Truman's
support and knows perfectly
well he can get nowhere at
all, either in the convention
or later, without the vigorous
backing Of Mr.. Meany Of the
AFL and Mr.. Reuther Of the
CLIO. now united into one
great labor organization. The
eany-Reuther combination
see far more eye TO eye with
Mr.. Truman In the business
Of political strategy than they
do with the good Adlai, who
adhors bluntness and leans
strongly toward an excessive
suavity and . pleasing double
talk. The best opinion here
Is that, by November. when
Mr.. Stevenson plans to tell the
great American people exactly
how he feels, MFR. Truman and
the labor bosses will have
nodded the kind Of campaign
they want and that there will
be nothing for Mr.. Stevenson
to do except go along with
them.
He is not going to like it but
he is going to do 1t, just as
he did in 1852, when, after he
had taken the same stand as
did Gen. Eisenhower on the
Taft-Hartley law, union labor
pressure compelled him to eat
his words and take the slave
labor-law" attitude of the
professional union dema-
gogues-a pressure to which
Mr.. Truman had yielded early
after he became President. In
fact, MIR. Truman yielded to 1t
before he was nominated for
Vice President In 1914, when
at Mr.. Roosevelt's direction he
went, hat in hand. to see the
Messrs. Philip Murray and
William Green at their Chi
cago hotel to clear" his nomi-
nation with them.
Considering these things the
Republican managers are not
deeply disturbed by Mr.. Tru-
mans series Of speeches. They
regard his give 'em hell"
frame Of mind and his decla-
ration that he is going to
return the Government Of
this country to the people"
as so much blatant bombast.
Whether he fires away as the
labor bosses and the radicals
expect, or exercises a restraint
more natural to the polished
Mr.. Stevenson, the Republican
feeling Is that he can-and
will be-adequately answered.
Practically. without exception.
Republican politicians are con-
WINGED that Mr.. Eisenhower
will be renominated by accla-
nation and that he will be
elected by q greater majority
than before. 1t must be ad-
mitted that there is a good
deal to sustain that belief.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
Advice to Unborn

The current cases of Eugene
w. Landy. Naval Reserve Of
ficers' candidate: Fred Kar-
poff, N. A. c Aeronautics, and
Airman &c Stephen BranZo-
vich of the u. S. Air Force
give rise to the thought that
it is high time the vigilantes
of America arise to the &C.
casion and release a publica-
ton to protect the unborn, in
nocent babes who-are-to-be. I
suggest the title, "A Guide for
the Perplexed," or "Borning
"a Treatise on How to Get
Born to Parents Who Are 200
Per Cent Superpatriots." The
don'ts to be included might
cover the following admoni-
tions:
ID Don't enter this world
blindly. Be sure you have
checked on the Affiliations
of those individuals who
are to be called your
mother" and your ia
ther.' Ask yourself, HAS
either of these individuals be-
longed to any subversive Or
ganization since, or before, he
or she was born?" (This can
easily be checked against a
compilation entitled. Hes Got
Them on the List" by A. G.
Brownell.
(2) Don't cease checking on
these questionable characters
known as your parents" Re-
member, everyone is guilty Of
som ct h ing, unless proven
otherwise. Question back to
your parents parents. We're
any Of their ancestors born in
Cyou should excuse the express
SION Russia?
go Don't allow yourself to
be taken in by that woman
who changes your diapers.
kisses you and tuckS you to
bed at night. Beware Of that
false sense of security.
a. Don't accept monetary
fayors from that person who
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28

Your editorial on Lament
for April Is" compelled me to
dig out my copy of the late
Stoddard Kings What the
Queen Said And Other
Facetious Fragments" turn to
page 70 and again smile over
"A Mad Madrigal."
Its first verse:
In the interstellar spaces
where the cosmic breezes
blow
The Old Men Of Melody are
sitting in a row,
And there is music Sweeter
than the finest violins
When the wind stirs the whiS-
kers on the Old Mems chins.
Too bad Stephen Vincent
Benet, too, isn't about to re-
port on the shade Of the late
Brig. Gen. Charles G. Dawes.
Oh, well--history lives in
the past, too.
Earl SCOOP ShutZ.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
No Time for BocksIidinq

Soviet thawing operations In the cold
war undoubtedly have been motivated In
part by the way the free world has grown
in economic and military strength during
the past several years. President Eisen-
hover, in his latest report to Congress
on the mutual security program, has cited
figures making clear that the growth has
been truly impressive and that 1t has
created new international balance OF
power in which would-be aggressorS have
every reason to doubt the wisdom OF
trying to achieve their detectives by I'M
leashing war
At any rate, the President has not
exaggerated In declaring as follows:
Working in partnership together, the
nations of the free world have individ-
ually and collectively benefited from the
mutual security program. Their peoples
are better fed and better clothed than
governments and their boundaries are
better protected from external aggression
and internal subversion." The protection,
of course, is not yet as good as 1t can
and should be, but 1t certainly is power
full enough to provide large measure
of safety against attack
Thus, as the Presidents report points
out, our friends and allies abroad now
are capable Of raising and maintaining
$50 divisions, approximately $50 air
squadrons and over $50 combat vessels.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
has been the most potent factor in this
growth of defensive strength. Whereas
in 1919 1t had only IL divisions, today it
has about 100, active and in mobilizable
reserves. Similarly, wholly apart from
our own countrys estimated total OF
10000 operational planes, NATO's air
power has increased from less than 1000
to more than 5000 fighters and bombers
since 1851. All told, the European mem
bers Of the alliance have $1,000 men
on active military duty, as compared to
the 100000 in our own armed forces.
To help bring about this build-up Of
power, the United States has contributed
s114 billion worth of military equipment
to IS countries throughout the world.
The bulk Of the outlay-$8 billion~-has
gone to NATO's European members, which
now are spending Excluding Greece and
Turkey about $12.3 billion year on
defense. And all this has begun to yield
such good dividends In terms Of mutual
safety that the President is on sound
ground in saying that the dollars thus
invested "have brought greater security
to the people of the United States than
could the same amount Of dollars used
in any other manner"
1t is clear, moreover, that the invest
ment has played vital role in enabling
the free world-especially the West-to
negotiate from a position Of strength
sufficiently formidable to persuade the
Russians, as at the Geneva summit"
conference, to shift to what has at least
the appearance of amiability and rea-
sonableness. However, If the shift is
ever to lead to concrete and effective
agreements on such issues as German
reuniflcation, the United States and its
allies must continue to maintain their
power. Any relaxation on that score, any
backsliding, would be dangerous negli-
gence playing directly into the Kremlins
hands.