davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-05-09
Reoctinq to Firmness

There is nothing surprising about the
Kremlin's initial reaction to West Ger
many'S entrance into the family of free
nations. For the reaction consists merely
of going ahead with two measures that
the Soviet Union has long threatened to
undertake in retaliation for the Paris &C
cords on arming the Bonn Republic as
sovereign member of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization.
The first of these measures is the an
nulment of the 20-year treaties of friend
ship with France and Britain. And the
second is the decision to stage a meeting
in Warsaw this week for the ostensible
purpose of organizing military alliance
a Red-type NATO-in which Russia and its
European satellites (including East Ger
many will work together under a unified
command to maintain common defenSeS
against the "war plans" and aggressive
strategy" of the Western "imperialists."
But all this, like Marshal Zhukovs tough
weekend remarks seems to add up TO
not much more than stale and empty
propaganda designed to compensate for
some of the prestige that the Communists
have lost as a result of Bonn's new status.
Thus, for one thing, the annulment
action certainly can mean little when the
treaties themselves have for years been
virtually meaningless. Similarly, as for
establishing Communist-style NATO, the
simple fact is that the Kremlin, operating
through its puppet regimes, has been run
ming an armed coalition in Europe ever
since the end of the Second World War-a
coalition whose existence long antedated
the Atlantic alliance, and indeed forced
the formation of that alliance. Accord
ingly, the projected Warsaw meeting can
hardly be regarded as anything but
propaganda show staged to create the
when actually the force has been an OPP
Grating reality, and menacing one, for
almost decade past.
Hence, everything considered, the
Kremlin's current response to the West
German development does not appear to
have much significance in it; nor does it
appear to make the cold war any worse
than it has been. On the contrary, in view
of the prospective Austrian settlement and
other auguries, there Is some reason to
hope that the Russians may really be
anxious to participate in Big Four con-
ference aimed at easing tensions. And If
that is so, if they are honestly seeking
a live-and-let-live understanding, their
change of policy must be credited in large
measure to the f1rmness shown by the At
lantic community through such historic
decisions as the one to arm Bonn as an
ally of the free world.
Evening star., 1955-05-09
WSTAS IN SCIENCE
Tronsmutotion Hormone Isolated
By THOMAS R. HENRY

dragonfiy larvae recently Is
sued by the Smithsonian In
stitution.
The phenomenon Of insect
metamorphosis remains one
Of natures outstanding won
ders. Entomologists are un-
able to explain all the forces
which act to transform q
worm-like caterpillar into q
brilliantly colored winged but
terf1y. 1t now is known, how
ever. that the caterpillar con-
tains cells which. under the
proper stimulation of hor-
mones from its endocrine
glands at the proper time. will
develop into a butterfly while
everything else that has con-
stituted the worm" perishes.
The dragonfly, however,
goes a step further. There is
a specific cell structure in the
larva from which the adult
dragonf1y will develop, but
most Of the larval tissues
seem to undergo an as yet
inexplicable change.
Generations Of Change
In the beginning-for the
dragondy race got started
sometime in the carboniferous
geological era about 300 mil
lion years ago-larva and adult
probably were very similar.
They presumably were insects
that lived in mud or rotting
vegetation around the shores
of stagnant lakes. For some
reason the survival Of the
species was served best If the
larval stages could be passed
in water. Thus they evolved
In the direction of water
dwelling insects and achieved
a high order of efficiency in
this way of life.
With the end of the larval
stage, life as free-flying air
animals-presumably the an.
cestral type-became most adj
vantageous. The adult de.
veloped in this direction. The
change required a transfor-
nation of nearly all the body's
organs. the only exception
being the thorax which serves
an air animal just as we'll as
a water animal.
About everything else UNDER
goes radical changes. but ap-
parently the same cells which
constituted the larva are used
to form the adult.
Says DR.. Snodgrass: "The
larval and adult dragonfiy
have evolved independently
along divergent lines, the larva
for adoption to life in water,
the adult to life in air. until
the two have become so differ
ent that they might pass for
unrelated animals. The egg,
however, retains the dual po-
tentiality of redeveloping both
the larva and adult, each in
its latest evolutionary stage"
Evening star., 1955-05-09

electric waffle iron and the other gadgets
which all but require degree in electrical
engineering. Still. the dinners which came
from the kitchen cabinet and the side
oven stove were delight.
Kitchens have been streamlined in an
attempt to keep up with a fast age. But
it seems to the lady with the protest that
the designers have been making kitchens
so efficient that it is difficult to get any
thing done in them. More than one man
will say, Amen
Evening star., 1955-05-09
Modern 'Desiqn

A lady of some slight acquaintance
has successfully defended her domain
against the encroachment Of modern
design. Her protest against removal of
an iron-legged, side-oven cookstove from
her kitchen in favor of a more modern
f1attop range, with the oven near the floor,
has left the apartment building manager
somewhat bewildered. But he has ac-
quiesced, perplexed as he is at the fright
ening thought of a woman turning down
something new.
This lady deserves some recognition,
some honor, perhaps special medal. The
matter of the oven near the floor long has
puzzled housewives too meek to protest.
There has been comment about how one
sweeps the floor" with the hem Of the
skirt each time the oven is lighted, or a
look is taken at the roast. The side oven
of the less efficient kitchen presented no
such problem.
Storage space, too, is a bugaboo OF
modern design. The old kitchen cabinet.
with its sliding front, its enameled work
space, its built-in flour bin with sitter at
tached and its handy drawers, seemed ade-
quate enough in past days, but 1t has gone
the way Of the side-oven stove. There was
no room, Of course, for the toaster, the
mixer, the automatic coffee maker, the
Evening star., 1955-05-09
Planting the Tree

We set the little crab tree yes-
terddy
Beside the south wdlk, not
far from the gate;
1t tDill not bloom this year,
but tDe can tDdit
Until another spring shall
make it gay
And eUen noD tDe piston it
that tDdy
Instead of bare and small.
Imagination
Has no truck tDith the pres
ent situation
But oives all possibilities fun
play.
I tDonder II that tur-o6 future
spring
viii be as bright. the April
air as SDeet,
The earth as tDdrn1 and fresh
beneath our feet.
or any happiness that it may
bring
As good as this iDe kno,D?
=. IL tDeu may be
The best part Is the setting
OF the tree.
Moro B. Cunningham
Evening star., 1955-05-09
Democratic Family Feud

Something more than a cold war ap-
pears to be under way in the top ranks of
the Democratic Party, with preliminary
lines being drawn for control of the 1856
national convention. The question, in
brief is whether Chairman Paul M. Butler
is to be the principal figure in making the
ground rules for next years convention or
whether former Chairman Stephen A.
Mitchell is to emerge again in a dominant
role. Currently, the two men are widely
divided on a politically explosive issue
namely, whether Southern Democratic
leaders who walked out on the party's
presidential ticket in 1852 will be freely
accepted as delegates-and they would be
influential ones-at the 1856 convention.
Mr.. Butler favors peace in the party.
During the conference of Democratic Gov
ernorS here last week, the chairman talked
at length with Governor Allan Shivers of
Texas, a prominent Democrat for -EiSen-
hover in 1852. Governor ShiverS, who
probably again will lead his States 52-vote
delegation to the national convention, re-
affirmed his opposition to Adlai Stevenson
as the Democratic presidential candidate.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Butler implied that he
had no quarrel with Mr.. Shivers and that
he saw no reason to challenge the Gov
ernor's expected status at the convention.
Mr.. Mitchell favors purge" in the
party. He has expressed the belief that the
credentials Of Governor Shivers, and Of
James F. Byrnes of South Carolina and
Governor Kennon of Louisiana, who like
wise favored Mr., Eisenhower in preference
to Mr.. Stevenson, should be challenged If
they are named to the 1856 convention.
Mr.. Mitchell is still working, apparently,
for Stevenson nomination. Mr. Butler
has not indicated publicly his choice, if
he has one. Some of the other potential
Democratic nominees have reaffirrned
their liking for Mr.. Stevenson but none
has gone SO far as to indorse Mr. Mitchell'S
purge plan.
The 1852 Democr a tic convention
aroused violent emotions within the party.
Obviously, they have not completely sub
sided-a fact which may have considerable
bearing upon the partys fortunes next
year.
Evening star., 1955-05-09
u. N. Charter

The recent hearings before
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on the question of
holding a conference to review
the U. N. Charter were par
ticipated in by a number of
distinguished citizens. includ-
ing both ex-Presidents and the
widow of another recent Pres
ident. The views presented at
the hearings were quite di-
verse, but it seems to me that
several points stand out
clearly.
Cd The United States Is def
nitely committed in favor Of
a U. N. Charter review con-
ference to such an extent that
it cannot honorably withdraw
from this commitment.
90 At such a conference
there will undoubtedly be a
contest between the United
States and the Soviet Union
to win the favor of the rest
of the world, especially the
smaller nations and the "neu-
trail" nations of Asia.
90 In order to win this con-
test, the United States should
present proposals calculated
to win favor with other ma
tions.
% One of the most effective
proposals along this line was
proposed by Mr.. Lodge. to
make the big-power veto in
applicable to the admission of
nations to the U, N. In the
past, vetoes by the Soviet
Union have kept out IA ma
tions whose admission is IA
vored by most other countries.
including the United States.
(5) Another proposal that
should be made by the United
States is to include in the
Charter some provision for the
sort of effective limitation Of
arrnaments that has already
been advocated by the United
States.
(6) If such proposals for
U.N. Charter amendment are
presented by the United States
and vetoed by the Soviet
Union, we would gain favor in
the public opinion of the rest
of the world. Pressure of world
opinion might even cause the
Soviet Union to refrain from
vetoing their adoption.
Walter H. McClenon.
Evening star., 1955-05-09
Indio's Stand on Goa

In your issue of April 20,
David Lawrence, under a Lis
bon dateline, criticized India's
stand on Goa and called it
a part Of Prime Minister Neh-
rus hypocrisy"
Here are some facts which
disprove the complexion given
by Lawrence to the situation
in Portuguese possessions in
India:
Portuguese possessions in
India consist of three small
stretches of territory, Goa,
Daman and Diu, lying widely
separated on the west coast of
India. According to the 1850
figures published in Goa by the
Portuguese Central Depart
ment of Statistics, out of a
total population of 37,846 in
all the Portuguese colonies in
India, 388,741 were HinduS,
234.021 were Catholics and 49,
084 belonged to other religions.
Thus the majority of the pop
ulation is Hindu. The mother
tongue of the Goans is not
Portuguese but Konkani, a dia-
lect of Marathi, a regional
language spoken mostly along
the west coast of India south
of Bombay. In Daman and
Diu, which are north of Bonn
bay. practically everyone
speaks only Gujarati, an In
dian regional language. Only
8 per cent of the Goans speak
Portuguese at all. Some au-
thorities have put this figure
as low as less than 3 per cent.
The people of Goa, feeling
their affinity with the people
of India, have always strug-
gled to free themselves from
colonial Portuguese rule and
have at no time willingly &C
cepted it. From IT'S onward,
there have been over 80 re-
volts against the Portuguese
in North Goa.
India has conducted her.
self with restraint and dignity.
She has abjured violence and
has insisted on peaceful ne
gotiation. Portugal, on the con-
trary, has repeatedly turned
down all suggestions for a dis
cussion for amicable settle
ment on the plea that Portu-
guese colonies in India are an
integral part of Portugal. To
change the label of Goa from
a colony" which it undoubt-
edly is, to the overseas prov
ince" of a country more than
5000 miles away in Europe
cannot settle the question. It
is no more than a relic of i'm
perialism, and the fact that
such a colonial possession has
existed for several hundred
years does not make it any
the more justiflable.
Vijay San Budhraj,
Student from India, American
University.
Evening star., 1955-05-09
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

mediately following a severe
thunderstorm.
A very small baby squirrel
had been blown from a nest,
one Of the huge aggregations
of leaves that resemble a very
large bird nest.
The baby, only about 4
inches long, was being paved
by a white dog.
We took it away from the
dog, which fortunately had not
harmed it, and put it in .
crotch of the tree.
At this point, the missing
mother appeared on the scene.
Appeared Is not quite the
word. because she made her.
self known by a keening sound,
a lament that suddenly made
itself known over the entire
area.
1t was one of the most dis
treSsing sounds we had ever
heard. a positive lament among
the trees.
The sound was nothing at
all like the ordinary talk and
chatter of our gray squirrel.
r y
Suddenly the mother spotted
her baby. The sounds stopped,
and she ran swiftly down the
huge trunk to the crotch.
What would she do now?
1t was unexpected, but IL
was much as has been de-
scribed.
She placed the tiny thing on
its side. and began to lick it
all over, no doubt in an effort
to warm it, since the rain had
been very cold.
Finally. she took the baby
in her mouth, and went aloft
with it to the nest, into which
the two disappeared.
4 4
Squirrels make a variety OF
noises in their everyday life.
One Of the most amusing to
the human listener is the
crek-crek-crek made when they
are angry at a cat, dog, hui
man or other squirrel.
This sound so resembles
cursing that the listener may
be forgiven for believing that
is what 1t is. at least an animal
equivalent.
: It is q sound that helps make
the whole world kin.
At times. on perfect days,
the squirrel makes q cooing
noise, almost.
The lament is the most un-
usual, q true keening, and, Of
all forest noises, is the one
least likely to be forgotten.
Evening star., 1955-05-09
Mothers Day?

Every week-for many years
before my mothers death
sent her a small bouquet of
roses and so I did on her
birthday, every Easter, every
Christmas and on the ami
versary Of her wedding day.
I very much resented the
Inauguration of what is now
known as Mothers Day. Why
should anyone have to be
officially reminded to remem-
ber his mother?
One day last week. I called
a florist to ask what a couple
of gardenias cost. I was told
the price and when I got to
the shop. the clerk told me
he was sorry. the price was
SO cents apiece higher.
Mothers Day, you know"
he said. "is coming"
That was six days before
Mothers Day. Last Wednes-
day I went to buy some yellow
roses in one of the city's
street markets. "Awfully
sorry" said the dealer,
couldn't touch 'em in the
market. Prices sky high. You
know, Mothers Day"
Thursday I had a try at
some tulips. The price was
just double a week ago. I
need hardly add the vendors
comment Mothers Day" and
then som W hat ruefully
prices back to normal next
week"
I want to ask one question: !:
Who's day is this anyway?
Disgusted.
Evening star., 1955-05-09

Education older than the
hills
II had a most interesting
experience today" writes F.
A. J. Of Silver Spring, Md,
"as I hung the laundry on the
line.
"A mother squirrel, followed
closely by a baby, came across
the grass, about Is feet from
me, and ran up the stump Of
a cedar tree, about 7 feet
high.
From there, the mother
made grand Jump to a garage
roof, evidently expecting the
baby to do the same. But the
young one was afraid of the
distance. so only ran out on a
limb and back again.
1T finally ran down to the
ground and tried to climb the
plastered wall of the garage.
but couldn't get very far.
y y Il y
Later in the day, I went
out to get the clothes off the
line and found the two up on
the cedar post again. The
mother was making short
jumps to a nearby tree, and
coming back to the cedar post
to nudge the baby.
THE mother seemed to be
licking the youngster. like a
cat does her kitten; then
gave another nudge, but the
baby only ran around the
post.
Then when the mother
leaped to the branch again,
the baby took up its seat on
the post.
This kept up until I got
the laundry next to the tree,
and the youngster began to
cry for protection, I presume,
making queer sounds, when
its mother came and gathered
it in her paws, like a ball.
and made a flying leap to a
high branch. where they hung,
full length, for a moment;
then she leaped with the baby
to the garage roof. and dis
appeared on the other side.
II never before had witness
sed such training among the
animals, and I watched fasci-
mated, and held my breath
while the two hung suspended,
fully expecting them to drop.
There was a lot of tail
switching-if this is part Of
their speech, then there was
a lot of argument going on"
~ \ 4
This reminds us Of an ex-
perience one summer, i'm
Evening star., 1955-05-09
1t Could Only Happen Here

An American success story on the
Horatio Alger pattern has been told re-
Gently in the biographies of Ben Fairless,
retiring as chairman of United States
Steel Corporation. Son Of an immigrant
Welsh coal miner and adopted by an uncle,
Ben FairleSs grew up in the classic tradi-
ton of the boy who is destined to make
good. To finance his way through ele-
mentary school, he sold newspapers and
worked as school janitor. To finance his
way through college, he taught school. AS
graduate civil engineer, he went from
railroading to steel-and finally to the
top in the biggest steel company in the
country.
But something more than conven-
tional kind Of success has marked Mr..
Fairless' career. AS he retires at IS, he
is not being described as "czar Of indus
try" or tycoon" Through his years in
the industry he has become known as
working "steel man." the kind of boss
who knew how to do all of the jobs that
were being done by the thousands of work.
erS in Big Steel. 1t was qualification
that earned him respect not only from COL
leagues and rivals in management but
from the workers in his plants and their
union representatives at the bargaining
tables. AS an eloquent champion of free
enterprise and confident believer in
Americas future, Mr.. Fairless has been a
powerful leader in the recent great expan-
sion Of his own company and of the steel
industry as a whole. 1t is not surprising
that his final message as chairman was
that his company's prospects "are the
brightest in history" He has contributed
much to those prospects.
AS he leaves the active scene it is
worth recalling recent appeals for govern
ment-built steel plants. Fortunately, they
went unheeded.
Evening star., 1955-05-09

Isolation of the hormone
which causes metamorphoSis
of the insect latva to pupa,
the next stage of development
in insect life, has Just been
reported by two German BIZ
, ologists at the University of
Tubingen.
1t is the first insect hor-
none obtained in crystalline
form, where its chemical con-
stitution can be determined.
In the course of this work the
raw material for the isolation
as reported in Science, or
gan of the American Associa-
ton for the Advancement Of
Science-Drs. A. Butenandt
and P. Karlson worked with a
million silkworm pupae, a
large proportion Of the an
nual German production OF
silkworms. Each pupa was re-
moved from its cocoon by hand.
From this raw material.
amounting to more than half
a ton, about an ounce of the
hormone finally was obtained.
1t obviously is one of the most
powerful chemicals in nature.
An almost infinitesimally mi
mute amount is sufficient to
cause a blowf1y to transform
from the pupal state to that
of the adult fly. Somewhat
larger amounts do the same
for large moths.
The material, according to
the report. chemically is quite
outside the field of previously
known hormones.
Quarter Century of Research
Up to about 25 years ago
hormones were supposed to be
the exclusive possession OF
vertebrate animals. Then the
first plant hormones were iso-
lated and analyzed by chem
lists. Next it was found that
fermentation in crabs and lob
sters depended on a hormone.
The extension to insects was
natural and it was demon
strated that some of the mirac-
ulous transformations taking
place in insect species must
depend on these controlling
chemicals. Up to now. however,
the nature of these substances
has been unknown.
They evidently do not differ
for species but are the same
throughout the insect world.
X ~
Two animals in one Is the
dragonfly. Each has followed
a quite distinct road of evo-
luton, although they have
started from the same origin.
One has become a water ami
NAL, unable to live out Of
water. The other has become
an air animal, and it cannot
live in water.
This paradox is described
by DR.. r. E. Snodgrass in a
report on the life history Of
Evening star., 1955-05-09

I salute your paper. To me
a non-native Of this big, won
derful city. I honestly believe
you have one Of the very best
papers Of our time.
I enjoy the entire paper. but
my favorite is your column Of
comments from the many little
cogs and spokes in the mighty
wheel Of human life. Your
sincerity is readily recognized
by one and all. Your paper Is
one Of few true testaments Of
democracy. Thanks for all of
these things. that 60 to make
a good paper. wanted and read
daily by so many.
Fay Beck.