davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-01-22
Washington Bible Society
Reflects George Harris

George E. Harris, of 1908
Cypress place, Chevy Chase. Md.
was reelected president of the
Washington City Bible Society
at a meeting this week at head
quarters. 1885 G street NV.
Other officers chosen were
Arthur H. Ford, vice president:
Junior F. Crowell, treasurer;
John A. Patterson, ir., recording
secretary. and Ivan L. Bennett,
executive secretary.
Elected for three-year terms
on the board of directors were
Frank L. Smith. o. Harold Folk.
and Elgin Groseclose.
Evening star., 1955-01-22

c consin q n d
Massachusetts,
avenue NV
viii disc u SIS
pre- lie ten
topics based
on D niei-
Rop's Jesus
q n d II | S
Times. !" DR..
Raymond J.
Seeger. Assist
ant Director
Of National
Science Foun-
ation win
rraaalr fnnanr.
Evening star., 1955-01-22
christiun Rose Cross

The Christian Rose Cross Nom.
Sectarian Church win hold .
meeting at 4 pm. tomorrow Id
the fourth floor club room at
the YWCA, Seventeenth and x
streets NV. The subject will
be "The Soul Body" aG2
Evening star., 1955-01-22
Roust Beef Dinner

Christ Episcopal Church, $40
q street Sc. will sponsor a
roast beef dinner Tuesday from
4::30 to z pm. Proceeds will be
spent for parish hall furnishings.
Prices will be $50 for adults
and rs cents for children.
Evening star., 1955-01-22
Leods Confirmation Glass

Rabbi David H. Panitz win lead
the confirmation class of the
Adas Israel Congregation to the
Jewish Community Center. Six
teenth and @ streets NV. to-
morrow morning as part Of their
program of study.
Evening star., 1955-01-22
Episcopal Library Tea

All Souls Memorial Episcopal
Church will hold a library tea
at 8 o'clock this afternoon at
the church library, $500 Cathe-
dral avenue NV.
Evening star., 1955-01-22
By Howard IA. Sfockhouse

The Adult Bible Glass Of Saint
Adams Parish. meeting In the
Recreation Room Of the Charles
Warner Memorial Rectory, Wis
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Air Defense Has Come
Long Way Since 81 but
It's Still Inadequate

night interception exceedingly Diff
ficult.
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Identification

Already time was short. The
continental radar fence was not
deep and the planes were as little
as an hour from possible targets.
Were the planes friendly or hostile?
There was only one way to make
sure. Look at them.
But some things could be de-
duced. There were too many planes
for it to be likely they were friendly
craft off course. And the planes
over the Pacific were riding jet
stream (the high-altitude winds
that travel 100 miles an hour or
more from west to east), likely
avenue of attack.
A yellow alert" was ordered for
the possible target areas. That is
a signal to military and key civil
agencies that an attack is probable.
Soon identification was positive.
An interceptor from Thule, Green
land, had spotted jet bomber
winging 600 miles an hour across
the Arctic wastes-a Russian
bomber. The word was flashed to
Colorado Springs.
Red alert" was ordered: Enemy
attack is imminent. Air raid sirens
soon went off in probable target
cities.
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Civil Defense Teoms Prove
Themselves in Flood Work

ing storm reports. On his own
initiative, and after talking to such
local officials as representatives of
the Department of Public Works,
Mr.. bennington notified his five
local directors to alert their 600
odd civil defense workers for
emergency action.
AS the flood threat grew he
called his area headquarters to
report. notified the Red Cross to
be on call, and by the time Massa-
chusetts Gov. Herter proclaimed a
state of emergency, Mr.. Bonning-
ton had his organization fully
mobilized.
Details of the civil defense oper-
ationS varied. Men manned road
blocks to keep unSuspectlng motor
lists out of food areas. Others oper-
ated rescue equipment. Women
brought bedding and food to
emergency relief centers. Some kept
communications open with the
stricken areas so that needs could
be promptly attended.
Mayor Peter Hicks of WinSted
said: I'VE have only seven dead and
Is missing because we had
civilian defense that all but dragged
people from their homes in the
night hours . :"
The Mayors praise was matched
by that of Army officials. Brig
Gen. James M. Quinn. who acted as
chief of operations for Gov. Ribi-
coff, says the civil defense people
were tremendous. I'm our situa-
tion," Gen. Quinn said, "the military
operation came first. We had to
gather helicopters from the Army
We had to call out the National
Guard to take over certain disaster
areas. But the civil defense workers
we're the ones who had to carry on
the rehabilitation work. For in
stance, we have to get the water
supply back to work in Torrington.
have to ask the civil defense peo-
pie to get the equipment through
Curiously none of the civil de-
fense officials involved can make
an accurate estimate of the number
of workers at their disposal. Con-
necticut Director Mulcahy said the
numbers ran into the thousands.
He commented: i've only got seven
men in the State on full-time basis,
but. the response of the public was
overwhelming. think that's where
we proved ourselves. in our ability
to mobilize a vast amount of equip
ment from all sorts of private
sources and to mobilize q vast
amount Of manpower."
Evening star., 1955-08-28

Mr.. Shigemitsu because he was
born to a Samurai family which
trained its members to be leaders.
Young Shigemitsu early accepted
the doctrine that his class had
responsibilities as well as privileges.
He graduated from Tokyo In
perial University in 1911 and i'm
mediately entered the foreign serV-
ice. One of his early assignments
was as consul in Portland, Oreg.,
from February to December, 1918.
Although he rose steadily IN the
diplomatic service, he Stunned
politics until after his release from
prison.
Heoded Proeressiyes
Then he was elected head of the
Progressive Party and won seat
in the Diet. When his party
merged with another comparatively
conservative group. Mr.. Shigemitsu
became vice president Of the COM
bined Japan Democratic Party.
He is not only Foreign Minister
but also Deputy to Prime Minister
Ichiro Hatoyama. Perhaps embol-
dened by his new-found political
status, Mr.. Shigemitsu has mod
Grated Prime Minister Hatoyama's
attitude toward Russia and Com
munist China.
The Prime Minister seems eager
to normaliZe relations with the two
Red countries. but Mr., Shigemitsu
is showing considerably less enthu-
siasm-or hope-for the projects.
Some japanese say Mr.. Shige-
mitsu is a potential Prime Minister.
Others say he is more likely to lose
his present job than to win a
higher one.
One reason is that Japan is ex-
pected to have an election within
a year, and the whole government
may fall
In any case Mr. Shigemitsu ex-
poets his trip to enhance the po-
litical stature OF his party and OF
himself personally. That. in his
eyes, would be another development
in the best interests of Japan.
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Interception

From the Colorado Springs COM
mand post and the regional centers
interceptors were directed toward
the hostile planes. The pattern of
the attack and defense could be
seen at a glance on the big boards.
The planes approaching from the
west were tanning out. perhaps
headed for the Strategic Air Com
mand fields in Western and South
ern United States. The attackers
in the north seemed to be headed
for the Northeastern industrial
centerS.
CONAD fighter squadronS were
located so they could defend these
targets, but they were spread
thinly, and there were some i'm
portant areas still unprotected.
The interceptors could match the
new Russian bombers in speed, but
they could not gain decisive ad-
vantage. (That won't be possible
until the new supersonic inter-
ceptors are available)
Still. the teams of ground radar-
man, airborne radar observer and
pilot did a good job Of intercepting
the high-hying planes. Attackers
who hugged the ground could evade
the radar, however. and they made
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Shieemitsu's Not One
To Nurse a Grudge

sador to London In 1898, he op-
posed Japan's moves toward World
War II.
After war developed and the
Japanese forces began to slow
down. Mr.. Shigemitsu became
Foreign Minister in April. 1943. and
started a peace offensive. Then
Cordell Hull, United States Secre-
tary of State, announced that the
allied goal was unconditional sur
render. Mr.. Shigemitsu responded
by joining the militarists and call
ing on Japan and Germany Ito
fight through to victory"
Signed Surrender
Mr.. Shigemitsu's reputation was
such. however, that when Japan
finally collapsed he was selected
to sign the surrender for Japan
aboard the battleship Missouri.
The Japanese government figured
Mr.. Shigemitsu was the man who
could get them the easiest treat
ment at the hands Of the victors.
On his peg leg he went thump-
ing across the Missouri's decks and
signed the surrender in a cere-
mony which, he later recalled, was
carried out with dignity and with
out offense.
He therefore probably suffered
genuine surprise when he was
clapped in Jail as war criminal.
He eventually received a Seven-
year sentence. but was paroled IN
1850.
His prison experience, harsh as
it was, has had less effect on Mr.,
Shigemitsu's life than one terrible
day in Shanghai in 1882 when he
was participating in ceremonies
marking Japanese victories over Ko-
rea. A Korean nationalist threw a
bomb that tore of Mr.. Shigemitsu's
leg. The Emperor gave him q peg
leg. but it never worked well. Mr..
Shigemitsu became sallow and bit
ter.
Then an American writer, FL
lery Walter, who himself had an
artificial leg. helped the Japanese
improve his walking. Since then
Mr.. Shigemitsu has used other ar
tiflcial limbs, but still limps badly
even with the use OF a cane-and
moves about with apparent dis
comfort.
Jozx Devotee
Before the loss of his leg Mr.
Shigemitsu liked to dance to Amer
lean jazz. In the years that
have followed the assassination at
tempt. he has painted and written
poems and books. He uses the
English language well. and can
spar adroitly with questioners.
whether they be diplomats or news
reporters.
AL Of this has come natural to
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Detection

American intelligence would
probably have noticed an unusual
amount of activity in Russia, so to
be on the safe side, CONAD al
ready would have ordered con-
dition of readiness"
The command thus was at top
strength when Navy picket" ship
off the California coast picked up
some strange blipS on its radar-
scopes. Several planes were fly
ing high and fast headed for the
mainland.
In seconds 1t was established
that no friendly planes should be
in that area. In two minutes jet
interceptors were off the runways
and heading out to sea.
Word of the unidentified air.
craft was flashed to the regional
defense command post and to the
continental headquarters here at
Colorado Springs.
Officers at these posts had before
them huge maps upon which the
location 4nd course of the strange
planes were plotted; tote" board
which gave in a nutshell the in
formation known about the un-
identified planes and the action
taken to intercept them. and an
other board showing all the planes
available to that command and
the degree of readiness of each.
AS the approach of the unknown
planes was plotted. trader at
remote Alaskan village phoned
a Ground Observer Corps filter
station that a flight of large jets
had just passed overhead And
Canadian soldier hunched over a
mountain-top radarscope in On
tario spotted more "bogeys.'
Here we're quite a few unidenti-
fed planes to be approaching the
United States. And CONAD as
sumed that II it was an enemy
attack, there were even more, flying
in undetected.
Evening star., 1955-08-28
BY MOSBY GRANT

NEW BOSTON. MasS.-The last
issue of the Winsted Comm
Evening Citizen came off the presses
Thursday, August 18. when flood
waters had already risen over the
shoetops of pedestrians on the main
street of that doomed town, The
paper noted, hopefully, that Hurri-
cane Diane had been officially de-
clared dead" and, in an item on
its editorial page. advised towns
people that a civil defense practice
alert had been scheduled sometime
late in the month. The civil de-
fense story concluded on a note of
civic pride: "Winsted has the
reputation of being most co-opera-
tive.
Within SO hours the newspaper
was in no position to comment
further Hurricane DANES Spasm
Of torrential rains had produced
floods that destroyed most of the
town. Civil defense had been put
to the immediate test of total dis
aster,
WinSted'S Civil Defense Director
Henry Drake, without benefit of
warning sirens or white helmet,
found himself in charge of 500
evacuees huddled in a schoolhouse.
and throughout the States of Con-
neticut. Massachusetts, and New
York, where this reporter has been
able to make a personal survey,
some thousands of other civil de-
fense workers were leaving behind
their days of practice drill and NOV
ing in on the problems of catas-
trophe.
Civil defense went into action
almost by instinct Some States,
such as New York and MaSsachu-
sets, had executive orders or legis-
lation on the books calling for
civil defense to take action in
times of civil disaster" as we'll
as in war. The suddenness of the
floods gave little time for formal
ized procedures. Connecticut's Gov.
A. A. Ribicoff. after wild nights
ride through the flooded area, told
his State Civil Defense Director
Leo j. Mulcahy: ITO hell with the
red tape. Leo. Let's fight this
thingl"
The pattern that evolved had
some of the earmarks of minute
men springing to arms. For ex-
ample, in Pittsfield, Mass, John
bennington, full-time civil direc-
tor of Sector 4E, Berkshire County,
spent most of Thursday in the
local police station anxiously watch
Evening star., 1955-08-28
BY JAMES E. ROPER

Japanese Foreign Minister Ma
moru Shigemitsu. here on an Of
ficiaI visit this week. is famous as
the one-legged diplomat who signed
Japan's surrender papers at the
end Of World War II and then
served i've years In prison ~ Q war
criminal.
Someday he may be even more
famous for his icy realism.
Mr.. Shigemitsu never lets
personal emotion color his judg-
ment on what is best for Japan.
He is q close ally Of the United
States despite the fact that Ameri-
cans and other Westerners packed
him of to prison after World War
H.
He Is prime exponent Of
friendly relations between Japan
and Korea despite the fact that 1t
was q Korean assassin who blew
on one Of Mr.. Shigemitsu's legs.
Mr.. Shigemitsu's attitude stems
from logic: He calculates that
friendship for the United States
and Korea Is the best thing for
Japan at this time.
44-Yeor Coreer
Such a policy has guided Mr.
Shigemitsu during a foreign service
career that has spanned A years
and involved him in most of Japan's
international problems during the
period. He served in the United
States, Russia, China, Great Brit
ain and Germany.
A new crisis in his career comes
this week while he makes an Off
cial three-day visit to Washing
ton. He confers with Vice Presi-
dent Richard Nixon. Secretary of
State John Foster Dulles, Chair
man Arthur Radford Of the Joint
Chiefs Of STAFF, and other defense
off1cials.
Mostly he wants to talk defense
about the gradual buildup of
Japanese defense forces, and the
gradual evacuation of American
land troops now stationed in Japan.
With good military Judgment, he
Is not rushing this program.
With good political Judgment, he
Is rushing another demand - for
the release of about 200 Japanese
war criminals still imprisoned un-
der American Jurisdiction.
The 68-year-old Mr.. Shigemitsu
speaks with authority on the pris-
oner issue. He always has pro-
tested that his own Imprisonment
was unfair. He feels that whatever
he did during World War II was
IN line with q diplomats cardinal
duty Of helping his own country.
Indeed. he succumbed to militar-
ism only reluctantly. As Ambas-
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Idaho Looks on HeI|s Canyon Fight
As Problem of Water, Not Power

the Northwest particularly are i'm
measurable.
Idaho Sentiment Split
Sentiment here in Idaho appears
to be divided. pro and con the
Federal dam proposal, much along
sectional lines. Downstream areas,
sparsely populated, favor the Fed
eral project, But the farther up
stream this I >orter journeyed, the
more backing he found for the
Idaho Power plan. And the reason
ing seemed almost invariably to
stem from considerations of water.
Power considerations were sec
ondary
The original plan Of the Bureau
Of Reclamation. put before the In
terror Secretary in 1851. called for
a systematic set-aSide of power
revenues from the Hells Canyon
dam for the support of future ir-
rigation projects in Idaho. The rec
lamation provisions, however, were
knocked out by the Bureau of the
Budget and were not restored TO
the subsequent bills. Idaho support
for the bills promptly dwindled to
a trickle Without detailed provi-
sion for irrigation and reclamation
financing in the Mountain Home
and other upper basin areas, there
was little interest in what appeared
to be power project of more value
to Washington and Oregon than
to Central and Eastern Idaho.
After the deletion OF the rec
lamation set-asides from the bill.
Idaho Power sponsored and A.
nanced survey by W. Glenn Sloan,
co-sponsor of the Army engineers
Pick-Sloan plan for Missouri River
development. Mr.. Sloan proposed
to Secretary Mckay that the Hells
Canyon reclamation proposals be
abandoned in favor of an alterna-
tive plan using other available
water supplies. The Sloan plan.
plus the apparent defeat of the
Reclamation Bureau proposals, fur
ther weakened the Idaho support
for the Federal Hells Canyon dam
Voter More Thon Power
Thus the Hells Canyon contro-
versy, known throughout the Ma
tion as a private-Vs.- public power
issue, in Idaho is primarily water
fight. Fears are expressed through
out the irrigation areas that the
high Federal dam, If built, would
make such heavy demands on the
upper basin that. in dry years, wa
ter use would be ordered curtailed
upstream in order that sufficient
water be on hand at Hells Canyon
to keep the generators at work.
Lynn Crandall, district engineer
for the United States Geological
Survey here and veteran Snake
River watermaster, calls these fears
unfounded. The FPC in it's final
decision agreed that the supply OF
water was adequate for either the
Federal or the Idaho power project.
The fight is far from over. Demo-
Gratis in Congress have promised
to throw the FTPC decision ION the
same JUNK pile as Dixon Yates"
The National Hells Canyon Asso-
citation. which opposed the Idaho
Power application before the FPC,
met recently in Portland, Greg,
and made formal decision to ap-
peal the FPC ruling to the Federal
courts.
Hells Canyon is a 7,000-foot chasm
in some of the Vests toughest
mountain country. Bordering the
river on the east are the Devil peaks
the He Devil, the She Devil and
five little Devils. And there has
been the Devil to pay over Hells
Canyon. The end is not yet.
Evening star., 1955-08-28

LtldIlfCIy AC" OlSdIi1Dddol'
The text of the interview with
Gen. Smith follows:
@. Will the planned continental
defense system be effective against
intercOntinental guided missiles?
Gen. Smith: That is a most
difficult question to answer at this
time and about all / can say is
that we hope it will be.
The system which we are now
operating is designed against
manned and unnamed aircraft
travelling in the atmosphere. The
intercontinental ballistic missile
would come at us at several times
the speed of sound from high above
the earth's atmosphere. We would
have only a matter of seconds to
detect. identify, intercept and
kill 1t.
We will have to have better radar
when that time comes. And we
must have high-speed electronic
computers, for human beings simply
can't work fast enough. We are
introducing such computers now.
Exactly what is going on in this
area is classified, of course.
can say, however, that We do
not consider future continental air
defense to be a hopeless task.
@. The "fence" around North
America is not yet complete. Can
you defend America effectively un-
til the gaps have been filled in?
Gen. Smith: Against a given
threat. We are more effective today
than we were two years ago, and
we should be more effective two
years from now than we are today.
In using the term fence" I as
Evening star., 1955-08-28
By RICHARD FRYKLUND
Star stan Correspondent

COLORADO SPRINGS. Colo
Four years ago something novel in
American military forces was
launched: A service devoted solely
to defense.
Today. four years later. that de-
fense is in the hands of the Con-
tinental Air Defense Command
tCONAD) a joint enterprise of the
Air Force. Army. Navy and Marine
Corps. Compared with the moth
ing" defense of 1851, today's CONAD
is truly a marvel.
But in those four years. Russia
also has come long way. The Reds
probably have stockpiled enough
atomic bombs to hit every major
target in the United States; they
have developed the even-deadlier
hydrogen bomb and they have put
into operation long-range bombers
better than ours.
That's not the end of it. The
Russians are developing "intercon-
tinental ballistic missiles" UCBMs)
which will carry hydrogen warheads
through outer space at several
thousand miles an hour directly
from Russia to targets in this coun-
try. No airplane could hope to in
tercept and destroy one.
. Can the Continental Air Defense
Command cope with today's poten-
tial jet-hydrogen air attack?
. Will it be able to defend this
country when the ICBM is ready?
Not even the generals here at
CONAD's headquarters claim to
know the final answers.
But an examination Of our de-
fense and Russia's offense can pro-
duce at least some tentative con-
clusionS.
Perhaps the best way to describe
the state of our defenses is to
enumerate the steps that would
have been taken if Russia had
launched an attack last night. Here
is a fictionaliZed version of what
might have happened.
Evening star., 1955-08-28
Conclusions

Certainly some of the enemy
bombers in this imaginary raid
would have got through. What
percentage would depend on count
less variable factors which cannot
be calculated in advance.
But whatever the percentage
getting through, it would be far
smaller If CONAD were equipped
throughout with supersonic inter-
ceptors, If its guided missiles were
more modern. more plentiful and
located, farther out from the target
areas, If the radar net were COM
pleted in depth and if the Ground
Observer Corps were at full
strength.
All those ifs add up to an made
quate air defense system as of now.
At present the prospects for an effec-
tive system are not bright. For
as CONAD gets bigger, the Russian
offense gets bigger. too. And the
Reds pace Of improvement is be-
lieVed by many to be outstripping
ours.
Civilian critics in and out of the
Government believe considerations
Of economy are keeping Americas
air defense-and offense-behind
the competition.
What of the future-the era Of
the ICBM?
About that little can be said. for
the Air Force isn't talking enough
to give the Kremlin any clues.
But the problem posed by the
ICBM is tremendous. Human beings
won't be able to intercept and kill
it. The job will have to be done
electronically. Automatic radar
must locate the missiles. Electronic
computers must calculate their
course and guide our missiles to the
interception. All this must be done
in seconds.
Some Of the work on these robot
warriors is being done now. Whether
it is enough the public has no way
of finding out.
The cost, OF course, will be tre-
mendouS.
Could the electronic defense be
bought with some of the money now
spent on more conventional defense?
The Pentagon is convinced that the
answer is unfortunately No"
The ICBM is a weapon of the fu-
ture. We must be prepared for
it when the time comes. but money
for today's defense should not be
diverted to tomorrow's.