davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Confidence Reoffirmed

It is logical and just that President
Eisenhower has reSubn1itted to the Senate
the nomination of Trevor Gardner to be
Assistant Air Force Secretary for Research
and Development.
AS an engineer and scientist, Mr.. Gard
ner is qualified professionally to supervise
a phase of Air Force activity that is highly
important to the military and, in turn, to
the national security. He has, in fact, been
carrying on this work for more than year
In the status of a special assistant to the
Secretary of the Air Force, but the title
. for which he is nominated will give him
broader authority in the execution OF con-
tracts and in other functions.
But in addition to his appointment
being a deserving one on professional
grounds, there is an added element of just
ness in the Presidents decision to send a
denomination to Congress. For Mr.. Gardner
was chosen for this Assistant Secretaryship
last summer and was denied Senate con-
f1rmatlon because he had worked with and
expressed professional respect for DR.. J..
Robert Oppenheimer, atomic scientist who
has been refused security clearance. No
question was raised openly as to Mr.. Gard
ner's own security status, however, and the
confidence shown in him by the President
and by Defense Department officials war
rants favorable Senate action on his nomi-
nation.
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Treatment for All

Amendments to District health laws
proposed by the Health Department would
correct an absurd condition governing
treatment of mental patients at District
General Hospital. Under an Interpretation
of existing laws by the Corporation Counsel,
the municipal institution can "detain, OBJ
serve and examine" patients committed for
psychiatric study by police or the courts,
but cannot treat" them. This is ridicu-
lous restriction which ought to be lifted
promptly.
Acting Health Director Heath, in urging
revision of the laws, pointed out that there
are cases in which psychiatric treatment,
expeditiously administered, might facilitate
early recovery. Postponement Of such treat
ment could have serious results. An average
of 100 mental patients month are sent
to the hospital for observation, but under
the present rules, no treatment of any kind
Is permissible. DR.. Heath expressed the
view to the Commissioners that "since we
District GeneraD are hospital and not
Jail, it is our responsibility to render to
every person entrusted to our care any and
all treatment which may be indicated for
the condition from which he suffers at the
time that he is under our care" That Is
the only rational and humane policy for
such public hospital as that operated by
the District Health Department
Evening star., 1955-02-14
One Big Step Toward Unity

The AFL and CIO have agreed upon a
broad and promising foundation for the
merger of these two great labor organiza-
tions. If the plan works, the ending OF the
2O-year split between these two largest
union groups should bring benefits to the
memberships and contribute perhaps to
long-term stability of labor management
relations.
Claiming slightly more than 10 million
of the total IS million members affected,
the AFL will have dominant place in the
new labor body. George Meany, now presi-
dent of the Federation, will be president OF
the combined group and the present AFL
unions will have majority on the proposed
executive council. The identity Of the CIO
will be preserved, however, in a special
department to be known as the Council of
Industrial Organizations. The principles
of craft and industrial organization-a basic
issue in the split 20 years ago-will be re-
tanned This will allow the AFL unions to
continue organizing workers in the crafts,
while the CIO bloc will carry on its efforts
In industries better suited to the so-called
vertical type of organizing.
The merger agreement still leaves some
serious and difficult problems yet to be
worked out, however. Although the con-
ferees joined in declaring that no-raiding
pact now in effect should be extended, en-
forcement machinery for. this difficult task
has yet to be devised. More than 80 of the
Ill unions in the AFL and of the "a
unions in the CIO never have subscribed to
the present voluntary agreement against
crossing jurisdictional lines. And the prob
lem will be magnified in any real attempt
to eliminate conflicts between unions that
are now operating in overlapping or closely
related fields.
Troubles may develop also with powerful
member unions that have been in occasional
disagreement with the leadership OF the two
Evening star., 1955-02-14
This and That

One of the strangest of all animals
was standing right there in the dark on
Templeton Jones' back porch. Jones
had put out platter of beef, the best
for wandering black cat.
The cat was still there. looking rather
obviously at the animal and no wonder.
1t was an opossum.
In the light from the kitchen door,
the only distinct things about the
creature were the eyes.
These, large and luminous, looked
back curiously at Jones.
The possum did not flee, but sat
squarely in front of the meat.
Templeton Jones kept on looking.
he wanted to see If the animal took
the food in its paws, as raccoon
would do
The cat approached carefully. pre-
tending that he didn't see the possum,
but just was going to take walk.
With soft feline springiness, the big
cat sided down to the steps, then sat
on his launches.
The posSpm had by this time dipped
his head INTO the meat again.
44&
The cat turned, and took good
sniff at the rat-like tail.
The possum looked around at the
cat, then went back to eating.
This snub was too much for the
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Letters to The Star.
Pen-'aGnses may be used If letters carry
aDriters' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

an irritable, ock-watching relation
ship, there might spring up refresh
ing "father-son" type of teamwork. This
plan would have infinite variations
where two-way needs could be met
and wage controls and other complica-
tiorls be forgotten. Goods and other
values could be exchanged for various
services. Give-and- take home nursing
could be arranged. A widow left alone
in big house could here locate another
congenial woman to share her home on
some reasonable basis.
At the time in life of his most dras-
tic changes, the senior citizen" has
been left to find his way alone. Life
is spoken of as being divided into three
parts: The first for preparation, the
middle for work, and the latter part
0ogically) for sharing wisdom born of
experience. Instead, with almost no
cooperative effort for this part of
life, small wonder that disease, decrepi-
tude and demise quickly follow one
another. This phase of life is in
eclipse. What should be glorious and
triumphant is most often an ignomini-
Gus fadeout. Perhaps because of our
stupid acquiescence in such a concept.
To live. people must be happy. Both
happiness and unhappiness are con-
tagiouS. Those who disregard the
Senior citizen" will soon walk in his
shoes.
T., Leslie
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Letter Of Credit
l.. Leslie.

The news writeup In The Star of
February 8 of the annual dinner of the
Takoma Park, D. c., Citizens Associa-
ton. together with q historical ac-
count and statement of past accom-
plishments of that association, I am
reluctant to point out. contains one
glaring inaccuracy, viz. crediting "the
elimination of the grade crossing of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at
Chestnut street" as another vic
tory for that association.
In the first place. for clariication, let
1t be noted that the viaduct alluded
to does not touch Chestnut street,
although, as the final result of the
completed project. the grade crossing
there has been permanently eliminated
by closing same at the railroad, making
1t a dead-end street. In the second
place this viaduct was and is expressly
built to carry another thoroughfare
under the B81O right-of-way, namely,
Piney Branch road dtself a dead-end
street at the time), and not to carry
through Chestnut street, as inferred.
(See Act of Congress approved July 3,
1880, and hearings anent thereto)
Furthermore. all existing records will
show that instead Of favoring the ex-
tension and widening of Piney Branch
road. the said Citizens Association went
on record as opposed to the project, as
evidenced by the minutes of the special
meeting presided over by the president
of that organization. at the Takona
Park Library November 19 1929 the
account of which is to be found in The
Evening star., 1955-02-14

The dowry system was firmly estab-
lished in ancient Babylon, Greece and
Rome.
There were intimatiors Of romantic
love in poets and dramatists Of the an
cient world, centuries before the Mid
die Ages and the Towering of chivalry.
Ovid. the Roman poet (43 B. C.-l7 [?1
A. d. wrote treatise called 1.-THE Art
OF Love-" which. Mr.. Turner points out,
lis disconcertingly modern, and is to be
found echoed in up-to-date etiquette
books, sex books and, not least, in ad-
vertisers' announcements
The suitor, Ovid advised, must fiatter
his lady necessarily. He must lose to
her at gambling. He must be sedulous
in brushing dust, real or imaginary,
from her cloak. He must laugh with
her and weep when she weeps. If he
cannot weep to order, he should con-
slider moiStening his eyes with his finger.
II he can contrive to look pale. so much
the better. for she will think he is sick
and that she is the cause. -
But romance first became o culti-
waited blossom in the 18th century,
when knights began to carry trifles
from their ladies' attire into tourna-
ments and battles. The troubadours
spread this exalted conception Of love.
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Strength for the Long Pull

The Legislative Reference Service of the
Library of Congress has completed study
which rejects the view that the Soviet Union
is rapidly catching up with the West, if not
forging ahead of it, in terms of basic eco
nonnic strength-a key factor in determining
the international balance of power.
There are, of course, some authorities
who disagree with this conclusion. But the
new study-a scholarly one prepared for the
Joint Congressional Committee on the Eco
nomic Report-confrms other surveys indi-
eating that the merged might of the econ
omies of the Western powers is significantly
greater than that of Communist Russia and
its satellite empire. Indeed, as matter of
fact, the same thing holds true for the
United States standing by itself, even
though the recent speeches of Foreign Min
lister Molotov and other Kremlin bigwigs
have pulled out all the stops in praising
Soviet industrial strength sH
Moreover, this is not short-term prop
osition. On the contrary, even though the
Soviet Union may now show a somewhat
faster rate of growth in heavy industrial
production "a rate based on a, starting level
much lower than ours), there is good reason
to be confident that our present big margin
of economic superiority over the Russians
can even be increased in the next two dec
AIDES "a period, incidentally, in which
Chinas economy, although it can be ex-
pected to achieve important advances, is
likely to remain relatively weak.
Nevertheless, the Communists have
created widespread impression that the
Soviet Union is the economic equal of the
United States-an impression that holsters
their propaganda of threats and blandish-
ments But the simple truth of the matter
is this: That the Russians, even though
they have mighty armed forces, and even
though we may have no real edge on them
in new weapons, still rank as poor seconds
to us in actual and potential productive
capacity and the output of things like steel,
Oil and electrical energy. Further, they have
the added weakness of being masters of an
empire founded largely on the oppression
of a vast segment of humanity whose loyalty
to the Kremlin is very much open to
question.
To say this, of course, is not to suggest
that we have any justification for compla-
cency. For the Soviet Union, despite it's
deficiencies, is unquestionably very great
power with tremendous military forces in
being, and if it should ever become master
of the whole of Europe, the Vests present
economic primacy would be ended. Yet,
with that reservation TO one side, the fact
remains that the free world has such
superior basic strength right now-strength
for the long pull-that there should be no
doubt about its ability,to keep itself free if
it holds fast, unitedly and resolutely, against
the threat of Red aggression.
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Those on Fixed Incomes

Senator Morse is urging minimum
wage of $110 an hour. Federal workers
are expecting another raise, and Con-
gress itself plans on big salary In
crease. Such things only push the price
spiral higher Where does this leave
those on fixed incomes?
With public utilities. postage, carfare,
medicine and. above all, any kind Of
labor-domeStic, house repairs, etc.,
climbing, what Of those who have no
raises? One magazine editor observes,
Labor seems about to price itself out
OF the market"
There are now nearly IA million
people in the United States who are
over IS years of age, and the number
is growing. Here in this goodly slice of
our population we find most of our
fxedincomers. The Senior citizen" as
those in this group are now being called,
has, particularly since World War /,
been bypassed He seems about to
founder unless he does something about
it. The strength of all the other groups
is that they are organized. The "senior
citizen is not organized. Therein is his
clue. He must band with those of his
kind. But how?
There have recently been few efforts
made in his direction. Small groups
have been established in most big cities
mostly for the purpose of entertaining
him. But is entertainment what he
wants? When he retires he is given
farewell party, and he then goes home
Ito what? We are beginning to realize
that he isn't dead yet. He goes home to
reduced and fixed income-one that
is continuing to shrink. He is at the
place where illness and death of loved
ones creep closer around him. And then
he is supposed to feel greatly favored
because there are being arranged for
him one or two places where he can
meet with others of his kind and play
ping pong.
There are two things he needs most:
An income not too far out Of line with
those around him: and feeling of
being needed. 1t is this being needed
that gives him sense of Importance
without which no one is happy.
How can. the hxed-incomer better his
economic condition? Minus ''Town-
send Plan,'' one way would be for some
system to be worked out whereby peo-
pie in this group could help each other.
Otherwise; before long half of the peo-
pie are going to be dependent on the
other hall. There is need for some
kind of registry center" where the
"senior citizens" needs can be matched
up." For instance. a retired man in
Alexandria, high-grade teacher of
the building arts, now occupies himself
with little beautifying and building
for himself But he must pay a pro-
hibitive wage for any kind of assistant
With the help of such registry" he
could locate young man who would
gladly trade some service for first-hand
lessons by an expert. Also, instead of
Evening star., 1955-02-14
By Charles E. Trocewen
o. E. Cleveland.

unbleached flour. Jones long ago
found out that he could not eat whole
wheat bread, as good as it is supposed
to be.
He thought that possum probably
would like his white bread, rather than
whole wheat, too. He was right.
It turned out that way, but first our
man had to feed the black cat, to get
him out of the way.
The cat was still on the porch, how
ever, when the opossum arrived.
The CLINT of It's eyes showed there at
the porch edge.
First, the small beast tackled the
meat.
1t ate slowly, but efficiently, with the
cat watching carefully.
Then it dipped its snout into the
bowl Of bread, which had been cut up
into quarters.
It did not at any time raise either
meat or bread with its paws. but ate
as a dog or cat might. its head down.
Finished, 1t waddled off the porch
with click Of claws and was gone
In the dark
Keep it safe, o Lord. and give it
Sleep" chanted Templeton Jones. re-
calling cone OF the childhood prayers
of Albert Schweitzer, the one he always
said silently. at the end OF his formal
Offering.
Evening star., 1955-02-14
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE

c., How will the people Of the future
find the exact location of the Time Cap
sule that was buried underneath the
Westinghouse Building at the New York
Worlds Fair Of 1939?-K. c. O.
A. The exact location was computed
by the United States Coast and Geo.
detic Survey and given as latitude
40 '4434089" N, longitude 73 5043.842"
w. Elaborate instructions have been
recorded for unearthing the torpedo
shaped capsule, which contains sam
pies of contemporary civilization and Is
to remain buried until AID. 6939.
@. How many ships are there in
the Russian navy?-N. c. S.
A. 1t is not known exactly. but some
estimates are given in the current issue
of James Fighting Ships" The Soviet
navy is believed to consist of 370-400
submarines, 26 cruisers with some build
ing, 1873 destroyers, and two old battle
ships. There is no record of any air.
craft carriers. Several types of craft
are equipped to lay mines.
O. Where Is the grave of William
Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth
Colony?-J. B. Y.
A. In Burying Hill, Plymouth. Mass.
the earliest cemetery established by
the Pilgrim Fathers. Three Hebrew
words on the tombstone have aroused a
good deal of interest. Only the first
and third can be read and scholars be-
heve that they represent "The Lord is
the light of my life"
Evening star., 1955-02-14

Star of November 20, or 81, 1928; also
in the Maryland News of November %,
1928.
Therefore, since credit for the swork
Of initiating and furtherance of the
Piney Branch project has been, without
doubt, inadvertently misplaced, it may
not be wholly amiss to rectify matters
by pointing out that the initiation and
final realization of such project was
primarily due to the indefatigable
push and pull'' of the North Takoma
Improvement Club, headed at the time
by the late DR.. Llewellyn Jordan, and
including j. Bond Smith, Fred Hawkes.,
William M Green and myself. Incl
dentally, the latter organization is still
extant, functioning under the new
name. 'The North Takoma Citizens
Association" (Next scheduled meeting
February II, pm. at the Montgomery
Junior College.)
Walter Prichard.
Evening star., 1955-02-14

cat, which retired again to the mat at
the back door,
The possum just went on eating.
After it had finished the meat, 1t
took a step toward the door, then
retreated to the top Of the steps, where
1t sat looking around as If very much
pleased with life and itself.
Templeton Jones made a mental
note of the time, 6:45 o'clock in the
evening.
He would try bread tomorrow as
well as meat.
Surely, on such cold nights, a wander
ing possum, ought to have some starchy
food too. Opossums will eat almost
anything. They are in that respect
great deal like raccoons, but there
is no family trait shared between them.
Americas raccoon is related to the
bears, whereas the opossum is the only
marSupial in North America.
Bears we have plenty Of, but only
one marsupial.
Therefore, the specimen on Jones
back porch was something to see.
To love and be wise must include
the possum.
The next night. at the appointed
time. Jones put out plate Of meat,
the best. and q plate Of bread. his
favorite.
This Is white bread. made with
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Thunder From the Riqht

The Lincoln Day headlines were cap
tured by the noise-makers in the extreme
Right Wing of the Republican Party.
Their oratorical efforts were centered
in Chicago, under the sponsorship of group
which calls itself the Committee of One
Thousand Republicans. And it must be said
that the assemblage was one which brought
some singularly irrational points of view to
the fore.
Utah's Republican, Governor j. Bracken
Lee, having had more than enough of the
Eisenhower brand of RepublicaniSm
pumped for third party. Governor Lee
said he would like to be "loyal to the Pres
ldent," but he doubts that the President
has been "loyal to the things believe in"
This being SO, Governor Lee is prepared to
dump his partys prize political asset. One
would expect something better than this
from any political strategist who can add
two and two and come up with the correct
answer.
Senator Mccarthy, the man of the hour
for the occasion, had his turn in the spot
light. Although he ought to know better,
he accused the administration of having
ordered a retreat in the Formosa situation.
The Republicans" he said, favor "roll-
back" Of communism instead of contain
ment. This presumably was an invitation
to war, although that word was not used
by the Wisconsin Senator.
Remarks of this sort, and similar COM
ments from lesser lights, drew loud applause
from the 1900 Republicans in attendance.
Politically speaking, however, the impor-
tance Of the cheering should not be exag-
gerated. It is significant that such an old
political hand as Senator Dirksen, man
with much talent for testing the political
winds, did not lend himself to the third
party proposal or to the assault on the
FormoSa policy. Instead, he told the gath
ering that they should salute and applaud"
the President for his Formosa stand. It is
also significant that the President, should
he need to play it, has very important
ace in the hole. This is the splendid support
for his Formosa policy which he has re-
ceived from Senator George and other DEM
ocratic leaders.
It is barely possible, in an uncertain
future, that events will seem to lend support
to the irrational views of the G. o. P. Right
Wing. If this should happen, however, the
President will be able to rely on his BIZ
partisan support-and the country should
be thankful that this is the case.
Evening star., 1955-02-14

organizations; for example, the Teamsters
in the AFL and the Steelworkers in the CIO
On the outside, John L. Lewis and his strong
United Mine Workers have been critical of
both the AFL and CIo, and there have been
signs from time to time that third fedora
ton of unions might develop around the
miners, teamsters and steelworkers. The
autonomy of individual unions is status
that has been guarded jealousy and any
fear that it might be jeopardized by more
powerful central control could lead to new
shifts of association.
Even SO, the big hurdle has been
cleared.
Evening star., 1955-02-14
Valentine for Mary Lincoln

Forgiue US, Mary, for the cruel lies
We long believed OF you; that you
aDere only
A nGgging burden to the patient, Uise.
Great -hedrted man Dto bore the
anguislred. lonely
Weight of aDarring nation. We hare
thought
You gaze him little help or tenderness
And NTH self-centered, angry tempers
brought
More sorrow to him In his great
distress.
We hare gropn ,0iser now; toe knoU you
gaze
Him loue and understanding Without
measure,
And iDere Ddrm-hedrted, kind, and
deeply brave
I write you this to tell you that tDe
treasure
Your memory: and, most of all, to tell
You that tue kno,U, at last. he Loued you
Deu.
Jone Merchant
Evening star., 1955-02-14

Passing , over the disillusioning
sexual candor of the Renaissance, the
Elizabeth era, and the Restoration, we
find ourselves, in Mr.. Turner's history,
smack in the new puritanism of the
Victorian period. Table legs were draped
for decency's sake. such suggestive
phrase as "the naked eye" was dis
couraged, and 'unmentionables" was
a euphemism for trousers. The author
speaks of the reluctance Of old maids
to go to bed in rooms containing mems
portraits. even the segregation on book
shelves of works by male and female
authors"
Then came the new frankness of the
Goth century.
Mr.. Turner looks with disquiet on the
passing of romanticism. Some kind of
romantic love is biologically necessary"
he contends. How are we to create
new kind? Until the philosophers can
answer that question. we must do with
what we have. But 1t seems reasonable
to suggest that in the meantime the
lively arts-the cinema, theater, radio,
television and popular fiction-could
do something to raise our present
standards of courtship. What could
be less elevating than the wooing of
sluts by gunmen?"