davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-11-28
p. .U.C. Iron Curtoin

The ''last-ditch effort" by the Public
Utilities Commission to And a private
operator for the city's transit system has
whetted the public's curiosity over the
transit puzzle, instead of throwing light
on It, This is remarkable situation
one that might be described as the public
utility case that is not public. The fate
Of WaShington's mass : transportation
setup is being worked out by public
agency in complete privacy. And, by the
commissions own admission, the negotia-
tionS are dangerously near collapse, with
government ownership threatening
The identical letters sent by the
p. u C. to the handful of possible bidders
for the Cancelled Capital Transit franchise
offer no help to the public in its natural
search for clarif1cation of the muddle.
The letters only increase the concern over
the developing transit mess. They add,
too, to public disillusionment over the
early optimism of p. U. G. members as
to their ability to find satisfactory
replacement for the kicked-out Wolfson
management. According to the letters,
all Of the several bids-if they can be
called that-have deficiencies of one sort
or another. Each of the groups has been
asked to come In for final conferences
before final decision is reached on
whatever proposals have been made.
The transit-riding public, as well as
the taxpayers generally who may have
TO foot the bill for partial or full public
ownership of the transit system, has a
right to know more about what has been
going on behind the P. u c. iron curtain
than has leaked out to date. The people
have right to know whether their tax
bills win be affected by the custer OF the
Wolfson group whether concessions have
been offered or implied to any of the pro-
spective bidders and exactly what such
concessions consist Of The current policy,
OF secrecy Is Unprecedented in local
government.
Evening star., 1955-11-28
New Orders on TroveI

The interstate Commerce C0mmlS-
sion appears to have taken position in
keeping with the times in its orders
against racial segregation on interstate
passenger trains and buses and in watt
ing rooms. The orders, in effect, embrace
the philosophy expressed in earlier pro-
hibitions against segregation in dining
and sleeping cars resulting directly from
q Supreme Court ruling in June, 1850.
without passing upon constitutional
ity Of the separate but equal" theory,
the court at that time found that segre-
cation practices in the service cars
created an undue or unreasonable
prejudice or disadvantage" as between
white and Negro passengers In violation
Of the Interstate Commerce Act. The
question had arisen then over the prac-
tice Of many southern railroads Of pro-
viding separate but equal" dining facili-
ties for Negroes In curtained-off section
of dining cars and through similar divi-
sion of sleeping-car accommodations The
ICC, which had applied the separate but
equal" principle In previous decisions
dating as far back as 1887. did not spe-
cifically discard this theory in its orders
conforming to the 1850 Supreme Court
ruling-relying instead upon the finding
OF prejudice or disadvantage In violation
of the Interstate Commerce Act.
In its latest order, the commission
again has directed its action against this
type Of violation" but has added this
further significant comment: 1T Is
hardly open to question that much prog
ress In improved race relations has been
made since then (1887) and that more
can be expected. Segregation in public
transportation, that is, by common car
riers under duty both at common law and
by Federal statute to serve all persons
without discrimination, is not reasonably
related to any proper governmental OBJ
jective'" And, in the press release cover
ing the orders, is the following: In
effect, the commission discarded the sep
arate but equal principle enunciated In
former decisions"
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Unity on Essentials

Despite the Presidents Endorsement
of it, Senator Georges appeal for con-
tinuing nonpartisanShip in the field Of
foreign policy is likely to fall on many a
deaf ear in the coming political campaign.
Several leading Democrats - including
particularly Harry S. Truman and
Averell Harriman-have left little room
for doubt on that score. Indeed, even
the relatively moderate Adlai Stevenson
has plainly indicated that he intends to
take the Republicans to task for what
they have done, or failed to do, in dealing
with international affairs.
Nothing could be less surprising than
this. After all. politicking being what
it is, Democrats can hardly be expected
to be appreciably less partisan about for
eign policy in 1855 or 1856 than were the
Republicans in 1951-52 or in prior presi-
dental campaigns. The truth is, Of
course, that it is one of the inevitabilities
Of our American system that such cam
paignS have the effect Of almost COM
pelling the two opposing major parties
to hammer away at each others approach
to international problems. Nor is this
necessarily bad thing. On the contrary,
since no administration is perfect, a GER
tain amount of needing, criticism and
direct attack can have a salutary infiu-
ence in terms of improving upon the
day-to-day operations methods, as
distinct from the principles -of our Gov
ernment's program In relation to the rest
of the world
In that sense. certainly, it is difficult
to see why anybody should be dismayed
by Democratic indications that the Re-
publican conduct OF international affairs
will be subject to attack In the weeks
and months Immediately ahead. AS far
as our friends abroad are concerned
and our potential enemies as we'll they
would be well advised not to attach ex-
cessive importance to such politicking.
For the simple fact is that our two major
parties are firmly united on the funda-
mertals Of American foreign policy, and
safe assumption Is that this basic and
indispensable unity will continue to thrive
regardless of who wins or loses next years
presidential contest
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Dixon Votes in Court

The controversial Dixon Yates power
contract case appears headed now for
It's day in court. It is appropriate, per-
haps, in the .mixed-up background of this
now-canceled contract, that there should
be judicial ruling on its settlement.
The Atomic Energy Commission has de-
cided the Government has no financial
obligations grounds that probable
violation Of the conflict Of interest laws
made the basic agreement invalid.
Spokesman for the Dixon-Yate utility
combine, the second party to the contract,
have Indicated they are not accepting
this finding and that they are going to-
court In pursuit of the settlement costs.
. Actually, the several million dollars
involved are not particularly important
and courts determination OF who is
to bear this expense will not be the last
word on this ill-starred venture. 1t was,
from the beginning. an unusual arrange
ment. AS the contracting agency, the
Acc arranged with the Dixon-Yat
company to build new plant In Arkansas
for supplying power to Memphis, Ten
nessee-this power compensating for
electrical energy which the Tennessee
Valley Authority would supply to the Acc
Certain technical details of the contract
were worked out by Adolphe II. Wenzell,
special consultant to the Budget Director,
on leave from his association with First
Boston Corporation, an investment bank
ing Arm. Later, after Mr.. Wenzell had
severed all relations with the First Boston.
the investment concern emerged as A.
nancial agent for the Dixon Yates enter
prise. Unfortunately, despite "full dis
closure" Of the background Of the case
by the Budget Bureau, Mr.. Wenzells role
was not revealed until Senate Judiciary
subcommittee investigated circumstances
of the contract. Meanwhile, the city Of
Memphis had decided to build its own
plant and the contract was Cancelled.
It Is easy, In partisan political at
n1osphere, to read sinister implications
ponents considered it an effort to UNDER
mine the iva. Democratic spokesmen
are charging now that the deal was
fraud" It is unlikely that the courts
will make such finding, or that they
need to In ruling on liability for the
contract settlement 1t is clear, however,
that the Government agencies involved
were either naive or injudicious in their
whole labored approach including the
use Of Mr. Wenzell-to the problem
of adding to the power supply Of the area
affected. Chairman Kefauver of the
Senate subcommittee, who has more than
one reason for being interested in the
matter, is calling some Of the principals
before his group this week. They should
not be surprised to hear more about 1t
during the 1865 campaign.
Evening star., 1955-11-28

Ferguson idea. The United
States Army Ordnance and
Transportation Corps have
shown some interest in the
American counterpart. No pub
licity has been sought for the
American development. but
since we Americans take such
pride in our automotive leader
ship you might consider this
letter for inclusion in your
column.
The writer has no personal
concern with the hydraulic
powered project other than as
an officer tvice president) OF q
small corporation that has de-
signed and built several signif-
icant automotive products. We
have been anticipating the
time when the hydraulic prin-
ciple might be incorporated in
one of our truck designs but
had considered this PROPOSE
ton for a quite remote future.
The British development might
accelerate our own program
and provides an illustration Of
how frequently the news as
1t appears in The Star. may
influence business decisions Of
great Importance to an entire
industry.
George H. Barrows,
Vice President. McBright,
Inc. Liteway Trucks.
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Schools and Budgets

As a parent of three chill
dren, as a former legislative
chairman Of one PTA and cur
rent legislative chairman Of a
Home and School Association,
and as a member of a commit
tee on education Of a nonpar-
tisan group working to study
and solve school problems, ]
should like to comment on
your November Is editorial,
Schools and Budgets"
quite agree with your
criticism Of the proposal for a
special fund earmarked for
schools. In addition to the ar
guments cited in your editorial.
another objection to the sug-
gestion is that lack OF fiexi-
bility has long been a COM
plant Of those who have the
responsibility Of budgeting our
money, and more 'earmarked"
funds would simply make the
system more rigid.
/ disagree very sharply, how
ever, with your closing state
ment that there has been no
showing that our school sys-
TEN is being neglected. or
that an educational emergency
justifying drastic fiscal meas
ures exists"
The fact is that our school
system is being neglected and
an emergency does exist. There
are many complex reasons why
these things are true, not the
least of which Is q regrettable
tendency to, allow budget Of
ficers, often well-meaning but
basically accountants, to die
tate educational policy. ! find
1t disturbing that The Star
should find no evidence of
neglect or emergency in the
schools when The Stars own
reporters have done such an
excellent job Of uncovering
Just such evidence.
What does 1t take to show
neglect? We have at present a
situation in which. almost all
elementary classes are too
large, 81 per cent of junior
high classes are too large, and
rs per cent Of senior high
classes are too large. We have
understaffed remedial classes
all Of which have waiting lists.
We have children attending
classes in corridors. In lunch-
rooms, and In firetraps. We
have parent-teacher groups
buying books and supplies and
even paying for stock clerk
help.
I repeat: What has 10 hap
pen before drastic measures
are called for2
Muriel Frodin English.
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Season Of Weeds

Season OF needs. curiously
tall
Pokeberry, burdock. tron-
tDeed, f1ettle;
RGgweed topering over all;
TeGsel, milkweed, mulletn.
thistle.
Old field bdlsGm, punoently
S1ceet,.
Hyssop. iDillotD-herb and
yGrrotD,
St.-JohH's-iport, golden at our
feet:
Jeioeltoeed IN every meadow.
Weeds tull-0roWn--a marpel-
ons sight.
Many hare reached a giants
stature.
Frost ioill lepel them ouernt0ht.
AIpdys that Is the iDGy OF
nature.
Minnie Hits Moody
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Pilot Vision

The Airline Pilots Association is ex-
pressing warranted concern over the
Increasing danger of in-fiight collisions.
The sharp and steady growth in air
trafac, not only in commercial services
but in private and business flying, has
had particular impact on the Nations
airports overcrowding many of them to
a point where essential aids and facilities
are severely strained. Even the fact that
better navigational aids are permitting
more badweather flying may be creating
q peril in itself In that more planes are
operating under blind-dying conditions.
"A further potential risk is developing in
the building OF faster and faster airplanes
Leaving a decreasing margin Of time
Evening star., 1955-11-28

a brilliant student can attend
a particular school for spe-
cialized training in science.
@. Please give some infor-
nation about the dark COM
plexioned people of the noun
tain regions of Tennessee who
are called Melungeons.-
S. w. H.
A. According to the Bureau
of American Ethnology these
are dark-skinned people living
in Tennessee and North Caro-
lima, who speak nothing but
dialectic English. The name
"Melungeon" is evidently de-
rived from French melange,
mixed" this people being in
ancestry a mixture of Indian,
Negro, Caucasian, and pos
sibly other strains.
@. In the first Bibles, was
the text printed solid with no
division into paragraphs?---
E. e. L.
A. From earliest time the
books of the Bible were written
in sets of paragraphs, suitable
for a single reading. The
Geneva Bible was the first to
be divided into verses. This
was printed in 1860. The pres
ent arrangement of chapters
is attributed to Cardinal Hugo.
18th century, who devised 1t
while making q Latin con-
cordance.
Evening star., 1955-11-28
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
BY THOMAS R. HENRY
About Fossil Insects and Magnetic Dust

Search for some Of the
worlds most ancient fossil in
sects viii be made In Alaska
next summer by investigators
working under auspices Of the
Arctic Institute of North
America.
For some years scattered
specimens Of amber have been
found throughout the territory.
Amber is fossil resin from conf
ferrous trees and it has been
determined that these speci-
mems must have originated IN
forests of the Cretaceous geo.
logical period about rs million
years ago. the period Of the
great dinosaurs. The bed
rock source" of the specimens
Is unknown.
Insects Perfectly Preserved
Amber is unique in that in
many cases it contains insects
so perfectly preserved that they
can be studied in as much de-
tail as present day species. The
bugs apparently were caught
in the resin while it still was
on the living trees.
But the oldest insects in am
ber now known date back only
about a million years. Discov-
cry Of Alaskan amber In place
would contribute materially to
evolutionary studies. There are
fossil imprints of insects at
least 300 million years old.
They apparently we're abun-
dant in the great forests from
which present coal deposits
were formed. Such imprints,
however, give very little in
formation on the int tern al
structures of the insects or
their tnter-relations.
+
Approximately 125 tons of a
magnetic black dust from outer
space is showered on the earth
each year.
This is the conclusion of Drs.
Taive Laovastu and Otto Mellis
of the University of Washing
ton, recently reported to the
American Geophysical Union
here.
It is based on the accumula-
ton of extremely fine particles,
chiefly iron, separated mag
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Yankee Ingenuity

Wnen the merlLS OF q NY
draulically driven motor yehi-
Gle are sufficiently important
to warrant an Associated Press
dispatch from London with a
2-column head on Page AS of
The Star of November %. it
may be well to record the fact
tina: a similarly powered and
controlled vehicle has been de-
veloped in the United States
and successfully tested for
more than two years. Under
the circumstances 1t would
seem that Sir Miles Thomas is
overly optimistic when, accord
ing to the news item, he states
that the British development
"could give us Great Britain)
a world-beating lead in motor
exports"
The Star article was head
lined, British Ferguson Auto
Has No Gears or Clutch" The
stated principles Of the British
vehicle are identical with those
Of the American design. The
American DEVELOPMENT is
claimed to be adaptable, even
for the heaviest cargo trucks,
and would provide power for
trailer wheels also If desired.
The American inventor is
T. C. Bushong Of the Central
Implement Co.. Waveland,
Ind, who was aided in en-
gineering and prototype con-
struction by S. G. Reynolds.
president OF the Midwest Valve
Service Co. hydraulic special
ists) in whose shops at Terre
Haute, Ind, the first prototype
was built. This company now
plans to specialize on q farm
tractor for which the principle
is particularly adaptable since
no transverse axles are re-
quired. Hydraulic jacks raise
the bed of the vehicle land
mechanism so that the trac-
tor can straddle rows Of grow
ing crops without brushing the
plants down.
The Star article said that
British military authorities are
showing great interest In the
Evening star., 1955-11-28

netically from cores taken from
the floor of the Pacific, far
from land and at depths
greater than 5000 feet. These
represent. it is believed, a fair,
picture of the accumulation Of
this coSmic dust with time. The
cores are taken far enough
from land to avoid the compile
cation of sedimentation from !
the continents. They appar-
entity have fallen on the seas
surface and gradually sunk to
the bottom.
The black PARTICLES are
almost invisibly minute. The
average diameter is less than
A thousands of a millimeter.
The black dust. the scientists
believe. represents a consid-
erable fraction Of the cosmic
debris which is slowly building
up the weight Of the earth.
Other elements of the invisible
cosmic dust, however, cannot
easily be separated and their
magnitude estimated.
Jupiter Gets Big Particles
Presumably these dust par
ticles originated, as did most
other meteoric objects, from an
ancient collision Of planets.
All these dust particles, accord
ing to the theory advanced,
must be extremely minute since
all more than a fourth of q
millimeter in diameter prob
ably would be drawn into the
great planet Jupiter.
The black dust is adding to
the weight Of this earth, it is
estimated, about % milligrams
per cubic centimeter of surface
per year. Presumably they are
distributed equally all over the
face of the planet.
Although the earth is getting
heavier every year, it weighs
so much anyway that the in
crease could not be measured
by any known technique and
only the accumulation over
millions of years would be
perceptible.
Similar particles have been
collected from air and from
rain water. They show approx
imately the same sizes and
chemical composition.
Evening star., 1955-11-28

@ Approximately how long
does it take a Federal Court
to act on a case that is brought
before TIFF.
A In fiscal 1855, the median
time for disposing of civil cases
which were terminated by trial
in District Courts, with or
without a jury, was reported
as 14.6 months. In the pre-
cedlng year, the median time
was 1875 months. These fig
ures cover SO districts. and do
not include the District Of CO.
lumbia. Alaska, Canal Zone.
Virgin Islands, or Guam. where
District Courts handle local as
well as Federal cases.
@ Much has been written
lately about Russian superb
ority in the number of her
scientists. Has the Soviet
Union a special plan for teach
ing science in its schools?.--
A.McC.
A Yes. Every pupil is care
fully tested to find out what
his, or her. aptitude is. If the
child is found to have the men,
tai capacity to become a scien-
tist, the government takes
charge Of his education and
directs the course of study.
Many times the students ex-
penses are fully paid by the
government. and in some ex-
treme cases even the family is
moved and cared for 80 that
Evening star., 1955-11-28

So there was all the ma
terial needed for a good argu-
ment. and it wasn't long before
it was forthcoming.
Said the one from Cali
fornia. 'I couldn't take it,
being warned about hurricanes
all the time, and sitting
around waiting for them"
The other smiled sweetly.
Said she from Florida:
AT least, we are warned.
I just couldn't stand sitting
there and waiting for an
earthquake" !"
You see, as well as hear, some
queer doing on public vehicles,
In the old days, festive stu
dents would gather on the
back platforms OF the open
streetcars, and begin to rock
up and down on their heels.
In time, they would create
such q motion that the car
would be derailed.
Naturally enough, the trac-
ton moguls of those days
frowned upon all such doings.
Today. in the buses, we have
unr,lly children who run
screaming up and down the
aisles. while mother pretends
she doesn't see or hear a thing.
One mother finally had to
speak up.
Child Of grace" she
screamed, "sit down."
And the child sat.
The other day two teen-age
girls got aboard with shopping
bags. One had some sort of
squeaky toy in her loot and
she kept pushing it with her
foot. while saying to her COM
panion. i hope this cat doesn't
climb up my skirt. I hope it
doesn't scratch me-" and so on.
The kids were seated at the
far end of the bus. One raised
q window and unrolled q paper
ribbon about 80 feet long and
2 inches wide.
The paper waved in the
wind, then darted forward,
not backward, and waved up
and down across the windows.
1t would disappear, only to
start streaming again when
the bus stopped. And always
toward the front, not trailing
behind the vehicle.
One witness of this teen-age
high links still wonders why
the paper went forward, not
backward. He wishes he had
asked. These modern kids
are smart.
Evening star., 1955-11-28
Bishops on Schools

The recent attack by the
bishops against the public
school system requires US to
go back to the root of the is
sue-the public school VS.. the
private and parochial schools.
Why does each exist?
The public school was de-
signed to educate all children,
regardless Of faith, by the use
of tax money. No religion
would be taught, as that would
be an intrusion into the rights
Of the individual to have his
own particular faith. Private
schools came about as some
parents did not want their
children to attend with others
of lower standing and later
they were used when both
parents had to work In order
To live decently. The parochial
school was started to give stu
dents, not general education.
but one that was based on
religion. In order to attend
either . private or parochial
school the individual had to
give up some of the rights
that were considered to be a
part Of the public school sys-
tenn.
The United States has not
always had q free system of
education or a free religion.
The early settlers came here
to gain religious freedom. not
for others. but for themselves.
To this end they prevented
others. such as Roger Williams.
from exercising their religious
freedom. At this point I'd
like to quote statement of
Roger Williams taken from
Americas Way in Church.
State and Society" by Joseph
M. Dawson, page Z: "All civil
states with their officers Of
justice, In their respective con-
stitutions and administrations.
are proved essentially civil
and, therefore. not judges,
governors or defenders Of the
spiritual or Christian state or
worship. God requireth not
a uniformity Of religion
enacted or enforced by any
civil state; which enforced
uniformity. sooner or later, is
the greatest occasion of civil