davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Survival of the Fustest

Much has been said about the time
factor and elaborate plans to eyacuate
Washington but nothing has been said
about the human element involved in
this problem.
We do not deny that the flow Of
traffic during the rush hour constitutes
a very enlightening statistical study,
but this movement is a routine event
for the motorist. The fan-out of traf-
fic every afternoon is accomplished
within a short space of time simply
because the commuter has by habit
developed a timetable for his trip. He
leaves the Office at pm, travels up
Thirteenth street NV. and is in Silver
Spring in about 80 minutes. However,
let us face realistic situation in which
the well-being of the commuter and his
family may be involved. No matter what
time of day this emergency may strike
our calm commuter has now become
demon and is trying to get home no
matter what the cost. This will be
known as survival of the fastest. He
jumps into the car and speeds around
Pennsylvania avenue, knocking over
few less fortunate pedestrians, makes
Thirteenth street and is driving like
mad on the left side of the street, as
the entire thoroughfare has become
one-way street leading out. Things
are working fine for our citizen until
he gets to Logan Circle. He then sees
a swelling mass of vehicles converged
at that point fed in from Rhode Island
and Vermont avenues. He has now
been on the street 20 minutes and is
completely blocked by streams of cars,
everybody blowing his horn. Nothing is
moving and other drivers are abandon
ing cars and starting to walk up the
narrow sidewalk of Thirteenth street.
Panic is gripping everyone and the CD
loudspeakers cannot calm this crowd.
Some drivers are still sitting in their
stalled cars and waiting for either traf-
fic to move or an earth-shattering
burning death. I do not intend to
frighten but merely to bring home the
practical viewpoint. This facet of the
problem points up the necessity for
certain basic highway changes that will
improve conditions for normal use as
well as in anticipation of an evac-
uation.
Oul CuClCS dlC OuGLlOuCu ttlIu SllUulu
be redesigned as soon as possible to
permit traffic to flow through instead
of around We have very few north
south roads that can carry the load
of evacuation. Tax these roads with
snow and ice and we all know the
traffic bottleneck. These north-south
roads, Wisconsin avenue, Connecticut
avenue, Sixteenth street, etc. are fed
by a series of secondary roads that need
widening What should be done is to
evaluate our network of roads and
where possible create super through
highways. We all agree that this is
also an everyday requirement of our
city.
Norman Duncan,
Co-ordinator Transportation Serv-
ice, District of Columbia Civil
Defense.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
This and That ..

We Americans as we like to call our
selves, have three very black marks
against us-the near extinction of the
buffaloes, the comparatively near ex-
tinction of the Indians, and the total
extinction of the beautiful passenger
pigeons.
Someday, perhaps in the near future,
we will have to pay for these misdeeds.
In the meantime, any one who wishes
to read a def1nitive book on the total
loss of the passenger pigeons, which
at one time existed by the millions,
may do so in THE Passenger Pigeon:
It's Natural History and Extinction"
by A. w. Schorger, just published at
Madison, Wis, by the University of
Wisconsin Press.
"The conclusion is inescapable," says
Prof. Schorger, that the passenger
pigeon became extinct through such
constant persecution that it was unable
to raise sufficient young to perpetuate
the race"
This book ought to settle the doubts
that may still exist in a few minds.
1t was not nature that did it, not
the birds, themselves, but the greed
and cruelty of men.
There is a monument in State park
which bears the incription:
This species became extinct through
the avarice and thoughtlessness Of
man.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Izvestiu's Atomic Lie

1t is depressing to read how the Presi-
dents atoms-for-peace plan has just been
miSrepresented to the Russian people by
Izvestia, one of the Kremlin's chief mouth
pieces. MoscoWs propagandists, of course,
are always reSorting to the technique of the
Big Lie, but seldom have they used it more
Shamelessly than in this instance. And
what the thing seems to mean is that the
Soviet Union has no intention of co-operat-
ing internationally in the great new enter
prise proposed by Mr.. Eisenhower to utilize
nuclear energy for the benefit of men and
nations everywhere.
Actually, as is known to every informed
adult on the free side of the Iron Curtain,
the chief objective of the Presidents plan
is to establish an international atomic bank
or pool to which all the participating coun-
tries would make continuing contributions
of uranium, fashionable materials or nucear
knOWhoW for nOn-military applications
These contributions would be used, in turn,
to promote peace and progress throughout
the world with concerted effort to harness
the atom for great and benefcent advances
in basic research, medicine, agriculture, in
duStrial power and other fields full of rich
promise in terms of improving mankind's S
physical, social and economic Well-being.
But IzveStia, turning the facts upside
down and dStorting the truth into the exact
opposite of itself, has now told the Russian
people that this plan is nothing but
piece of "oStentatious propaganda designed
to cover up an evil American conspiracy.
I'm reality" according to IzveStia'S article
"the ruling circles of the United States"
have presented the Presidents program to
the United Nations not because they want
international cooperation on the atoms
peaceful uses, but only because they wish
"to divert the attention of world public
opinion" while they seek "to seize atomic
riches in other countries" and prepare to
unleash a war with A-weapOnS and the
hydrogen bomb.
This strongly suggests that the men of
the Kremlin, whose Iron Curtain prevents
the Russian people from knowing the truth,
have firmly decided against cooperating
in the Presidents plan. 1t suggests too, that
their continuing negativiSm will make a
futility of the current five-poWer disarma-
ment talks in London. However, although
they thus appear to be as determined as
ever to blight the hopes of mankind, their
intranSgence does not debar the United
States and like-minded nations from work.
ing together on the atomS-for- pro-
gram. Certainly, with or without Soviet
participation, that program can and should
be translated into action as quickly as pos
sible and on an overwhelming scale.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Never Heard of the Ludy

In The Star Of March 10 was an
item reciting that some young woman
named Clements, reported as residing
at 1445 Park road NV, used piece
of broken mirror to slice the hide Of
a wrestler named Motto at Turner's
Arena. being presumably displeased
with his tactics.
The address given is one Of several
apartment buildings operate and while
I am neither sanity nor self lf-righteous.
1 think I should inform you, both as
matter Of record and also in behalf
of the decent. respectable and we'll
behaved tenants I have In that build
ing, that l have no tenant by that
name in 1445 Park road NV. If she
lives there it is in some other tenants
apartment, and personally I never
heard of her before.
Harry A. Layne.
Editors note: The Park road ad-
dress was the one given by Miss
Clements to police)
Evening star., 1955-03-15

There can be do doubt of it any more.
There are no more passenger pigeons,
and Americans are to blame for the
tragedy.
The last passenger pigeon expired at
the Cincinnati Geological Gardens in
1914, but for years after that there
we're sporadic reports of the finding of
one of the extinct birds.
In each case which was not pure
hokum and fabrication, it was found
that some one had run across rather
fat specimen of the turtle dove, or per-
haps larger one, through some freak
Of nature.
Nobody could find passenger pigeon
again, because there was none. 1t was
as simple as that.
The passenger pigeon was large.
standing II inches tall, thus being
taller and heavier than the common
turtle or mourning dove, which is 1912
inches tall.
Yet if we can believe paintings and
drawings of the big bird. it looked
remarkably like our turtle dove, whose
soft coo-oo-oo now resounds in country
and suburban districts.
Perhaps it is just as well that the
huge numbers of the passenger pigeons
are not with us.
One may wonder what reception the
teeming millions, even billions--some
estimate there we're billions Of them
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Will They Work q Miracle?

Maryland critics of Capital TranSit'S
suburban bus service will find it hard to
share Senator Buffers enthusiasm over re-
ported plans of a competing company for
new buslineS between nearby Maryland
communities and downtown Washington.
Capital TranSitS annual report, Just re-
leased, contains little to encourage Compet-
itorS to enter this difficult business.
Senator Butler, leading critic Of CTC
bus service in Maryland has told of prep
arationS being made by the Suburban
Transit Company to expand its present
operations "to give Maryland communities
adjacent to Washington the kind of service
pect." He said three or more lines to down.
town Washington would be served by 100
new 45-paSSenger buses, with additions as
traffic increased. With buses costing
around $4,000 apiece, an investment of
about 81 million would be required for such
an operation. But Senator Butler spoke
only of an initial investment by the COM
pany of $4,000 in the expanded lines.
1t is intereSting-and puzzling-that
any bus company would be willing to ven
ture into a field in which Capital Transit
has reported annual losses of more than
s 100000 Capital Transit has been curtail-
ing its services in Maryland in an effort
to reduce the annual losses from operations
of it's various lines there. 1t has stated
that it can afford to continue It's operations
Evening star., 1955-03-15
EyuIuutes Ex-Nuzis

The public dispute concerning the
proper reception for former Nazi Party
members Won Karajan and Won Wester-
man appearing as conductor and man.
ager. respectively, of the Berlin Phil
harmonic Orchestra has raised anew
the necessity to evaluate the ex-Nazi
Party members invariable assertion
that 81 was forced to join" and "I was
only formal not an active Nazi men,
ber." Whatever conclusion one may
reach about the propriety of the Kara
jan-Westerman appearance in our coun-
try. it certainly seems to me necessary
to challenge this forced NaZi member"
concept, which is contrary to all known
facts concerning the actualities of men,
bership in the German National Social
ist Labor Party (NSDAPD
The fact is that there are no verified
instances of any German being forced"
to join the NaZi Party. Actually, men,
berShip in the Nazi Party was a much
sought-after prize, so much so that
NaZi leaders constantly were required
to enforce long periods of prohibition on
new membership and to maintain rig
orous tests establishing clear Nazi loyalty
as prerequisite to party membership.
In the face of these facts. how can
anyone accept the excuse for Nazi
Party membership as having been
forced?
Toward the close of and Immediately
following World War II the writer
served in the Office of Military Gov
ernment CU. S. as chief of DenaZif1ca-
ton of German Financial Institutions
and later as director of the Division of
Investigations of Cartels and External
Assets.
Russ Nixon.
New vnrk Citv
Evening star., 1955-03-15
The Interests of Justice y

There can be little doubt that Judge
Prettyman is justified in saying that the
effect of the majority decision by the Court
of Appeals in the case of George Taylor is
contrary to the interests of justice :" 1t
is, in fact, the latest in a series of
decisions which make it more difficult to
convict obviously guilty criminals with
out, at the same time, materially improving
or strengthening appropriate constitutional
safeguards in criminal trials.
Taylor was indicted for robbery, house
breaking and grand larceny. He pleaded in
sanity and was committed to ST. ElizabethS
While there, he admitted that he was a
faker, telling the Government pSychiatrist
handling his case that he had been "going
along with gag" in his tales of hallucina-
tions or delusions. After treatment lasting
some six months, Taylor was certified as
being mentally competent and was brought
to trial. The Government called the pSy-
chiatrist, who was directed by the trial
judge to testify concerning the gag" con-
versation. Taylor was convicted, but the
Court of Appeals set the conviction aside,
holding the remark to have been privileged
communication between physician and pa
tient-that is, remark which should not
have been used in evidence at the trial,
although the sole defense at the trial was
one of insanity.
Judge PrettymanS dissent rested on
several grounds, chief among them being
his view that the conversation was not
privileged The law extends privilege to
conversations in "the ordinary relationship"
between physician and patient. But Judge
Prettyman held this does not apply to the
relationship between an accused criminal
and Government psychiatrist treating him
at St Elizabeths after plea of insanity.
ut is contrary to the interests of justice"
Judge Prettyman argued, "to give such an
accused person power to close the mouths
of those doctors (Who might testify against
him). j.. 1t seems to me that this (majority)
decision will badly handicap and confuse
the handling of those cases in which persons
accused of crime are committed to Govern
ment institutions because of incapacity to
stand trial" Actually the confidential"
admission by Taylor was made and repeated
before a group of doctors And in Judge
Prettyman'S opinion, since an admission of
guilt to crime certainly would not be
privileged, it logically follows that "an ad-
mission of the falSity of defense ought not
to be privileged"
Unfortunately it is the majority opin-
ion which will be controlling. And when
that opinion is added to those that have
gone before, it seems clearer than ever that
this whole matter of insanity as defense
in the District should be re-eXamined. This
may come about through study now being
conducted by special subcommittee of the
District Council on Law Enforcement. If
not, the subject will be a legitimate one for
congressional inquiry.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Agoin-the Receiving Home

The Commissioners have the money to
enlarge the Children's Receiving Home.
They should go ahead and do it. Congress
appropriated S55OOOO for that purpose after
a series of Star articles in December of 1858,
pointing out that the place was crowded
three times beyond its capacity and that
juvenile offenders were being released as a
calculated risk" simply because there was
no place to care for them. Commissioner
Camalier, after the money became available,
thought that it would be a better plan to
sell the Receiving Home 1--WE do not know to
whom) and use the proceeds of the sale,
plus the S550,000 available, to build a new
home at Blue Plains. Nothing has come of
that idea. In the meantime, plans have
been drawn for an addition to the existing
building, which is less than 10 years old,
and the Commissioners should take the
steps to begin construction.
The original concept of the present
Receiving Home was that it was to serve
as temporary facility for children awaiting
more permanent disposition. Population
growth, and other factors, however, have
made the Receiving Home sort of dumping
ground for all types of children-there being
no other place to send them Conditions
will be improved somewhat if the building
Is enlarged. In the meantime, some de-
of children who do not belong in receiving
home, including unWed mothers and pSy-
chotic cases.
Evening star., 1955-03-15

the H-bomb drops. I don't like the
first one at all. 1t is that we dig
trenches 2 feet wide and feet deep
alongside our roads, so we can crawl
into them and pull some taxpayer over
us when bomb drops. Brrr! Those
dimensions are, I understand, exactly
the same as those of the little holes
they pop you into and say "Ashes to
ashes-duSt to dust"! And since our
latest atomic device" cracked cement
porch floors in an adjoining State, can
just see myself nicely inferred, without
benefit of clergy or the Lions Club,
when the H-bomb shakes down the
sides of my tailor-made tomb!
Mr.. Petersen's second suggestion may
have merit. He proposes to scatter
large concrete sewer pipes around the
countryside. We can dive into these,
a la 'possum in-a-log, and stuff old
newspapers in the ends.
I am all for this last suggestion. If
our eager-beaverS on the Acc intend
to keep on charging the air with radio
activity we are going to have to change
our way of living. Since our ancestors
1--WE are told crawled out of caves to
usher in the dawn of what we humor-
ously call "civilization" 1t is only fitting
that we crawl back into them 50 that
civilization may enter its night. And
since our population has increased
bit since the Dawn Man." and the
supply of caves has not. then a sewer
pipe might we'll be considered an ac-
ceptable substitute.
John M. Fishell.
ST. Louis, Mo.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Man With q Plan
C.. II. B.

MAY encourage The Star to add an
other significant project to its long
line of achievements in pioneering for
the public good-and for better living
in the Washington area? What have
in mind is q campaign for the split
week end" ie, a Saturday Sunday
week end for half of those employed
and Sunday Monday week end for
the other half. Washington, with sew
eral hundred thousand dependent on
Government employment, is uniquely
suited for this innovation which could
be put in effect by simple governmental
(executive) fiat. Other employers and
business houses could adjust their
schedules as they saw fit. OF course, the
plan would encounter many objections,
but I am sure The Star feels better
when 1t Is mastering an obstacle course.
Here are few of the more obvious
advantages accruing from the split
week end:
First and foremost, by spreading the
traffic load over three days, the week
end highway saturation would be
greatly relieved and the relief would
be recorded in terms of saved lives and
generally reduced accident rates.
A major by-product would be the
reintroduction of some pleasure into
weekend motor trips.
Retention of the present Saturday
Sunday week end keeps us geared to a
living schedule which is not only OBJ
solete but physically and financially
dangerous We seem to be burying our
selves in debt to build road system
which will be theoretically adequate
for few peak hours a week which We
can't enjoy anyway.
Harold Z. Stearns, Jr.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
The Visiting Nurses

The Visiting Nurse Association, which
is a member of the Community Chest
Federation and which celebrates its
55th anniversary this week, employs
approximately SIS trained nurses who
have brought comfort and help into
thousands of homes. In the past year,
over $4,000 visits have been made by
these able, cheerful and efficient guides
to better health. They take care Of
every type of illness under the physi-
clans direction, teach health rules and
by their part-time nursing care. make
possible earlier discharge from the
hospital. They assist with exercises
prescribed to enable the patient more
quickly to return to normal activity.
Anyone can call visiting nurse, ir-
respective Of race, religion or ability to
pay.
Other nurses trained in the care of
tuberculosis patients. go into their
homes and wherever possible. teach the
members of the family the proper way
to administer the life-saving antibi-
otics. demonstrate the necessary pre-
cautions in daily contacts advise on
proper diet and rest. Where no family
help is possible, she gives a daily bath
and comforting rub as well as the
medicine
Where accidents and crippling dis
eases like polio and muscular dystrophy
have left their painful imprint, the
trained physical therapist of the Visit
ing Nurse Association brings her un-
derstanding and knowledge. her skill
and teaching ability into the home,
giving hope and health with every call.
Throughout history some have hoped
and dreamed of better health for all
people. Today sincere effort is being
made to have available the means for
a healthier. happier world through in
telligent advice, through nursing care,
through the application of mental as
well as physical hygiene. The Visiting
Nurse Association is bringing to reality
the dreams of yesterday
Mrs. Homer Ferguson.
Evening star., 1955-03-15

diplomacy to permit Chang to carry on
as a pirate.
condemn Americas foreign policies
in Formosa because we have deliber-
ately and foolishly exposed ourselves
to the risk of World War III with Red
China and Russia. England and the
majority of the major powers have
warned America that, in event of war,
we would have to go it alone Chang
threatens to use force against the main
land, foolishly predicting that he will
reconquer China. But when Red China
makes the same threat against Chang
to invade Formosa-our State De-
partment screams bloody murder.
John Sato,
Ravenna, Ohio.
Evening star., 1955-03-15

In Maryland only because the suburban
lines serve as feeders for the District routes
and provide a public service demanded by
its patrons. Several years ago another
Maryland bus company applied for permis-
sion to run competing service into Wash
ington, but the application was denied on
the ground that the public interest would
not be served by such competition. The
fate of any new application will be watched
with interest by those who "have every right
to expect" better bus service between Wash
ington and it's suburbs.
Evening star., 1955-03-15
Friend From Australia

A good friend and ally is back in Wash
ington this week as Prime Minister R. G.
Menzies of Australia stops off en- route home
from the British Commonwealth Prime Min
listers Conference in London. 1t will be Mr..
Menzies' fourth visit here since 1941, re-
flecting in itself the close and cordial CO.
operation that has developed between the
Australian and United States governments
during the past Is years.
In its foreign policy, Mr.. Menzies' ad-
ministration has been Staunch supporter
of the collective security principle for facing
up to Communist aggression Australia con-
tributed forces to the United Nations COM
mand in the Korean war and was ready
adherent to the ANUS australia New
Zealand, United States) defense pact which
was formalized in 1851. In turn, it became
one of the signatory powers in the Southeast
Asia Treaty Organization after Mr.. Menzies
had issued the unequivOcal policy statement
that "Australia will be a willing participant
In the collective defense of Southeast Asia"
In domestic politics, Mr.. Menzies has
led Liberal-Country Party coalition since
1949 Australia is an important producer
of agricultural commodities and it's wealth
in natural resources is becoming increas-
ingly evident. In recent years there have
been great strides toward industrial devel-
opment and one Of Mr.. Menzies' missions
here will be to discuss the country's eco
nomic potential with officials of the Inter-
national Bank for Reconstruction and De-
velopment. The future of the continent
"doWn under" is a promising one and the
Prime Minister'S contribution to his coun-
try's progress has been constructive and
significant.