davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Dovid Lawrence
News Gag Won't Prevent War
u s. Government Was Asleep Dec. 2, l94l Loreeb
Because Our Newspapers Were Not More Alert

ing at a crucial time and
rnioht not have ,eru,itted q
vital message IN Tsarl Iarbor
IN Or hv the slower method of
te,ecran,, when ! telenhone
was avaiIahle
~. ~,-.... 49,.
.nS Sose...ln1 ~ wae ae.eep
.alsel $500 sa.e pleas mao
~. ~, ii1n aIeis - ,ecellpe,.
80 .a.ete wasA ~. 0,lousn
., sssn aDSme WIG poeai
D..sy - wa nee NaS w
si oieuaiis eiie
ANY theory That wars can
ne prevented and the enemy
lulled INTO inaction by failure
to print the news OF what the
enemy may be doing-or what
we know ne is doing in the way
OF q buildup could be very
dangerous to American boys
in the Far East. Admiral Car
ney is very directly concerned,
as 1t will be his sailors and air.
men who will bear the brunt
OF any attack If one comes.
just what has been the eff
feet thus far OF the speculative
stories about war? A few edi-
torials have been written in
influential newspapers advo-
eating retreat-that the off,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Doris Fleeson-
Poor Publicity Plaques Politics
Eisenhower IS Embarrassed, Democrats Are Upse
And Senote Aroused BY Different News Stories

The Foreign Relations
chairman made the sugges-
ton for Big Four talks which
did please and encourage Paris
and has enabled the President
to take a new and more hope
full diplomatic tack.
: Secretary Dulles has lost
much caste with the Democrats
by the circumstances surround
ing Yalta publication. They
regard him as a political Sec
rotary and they have very
largely withdrawn their conf
dence from him.
A hint of how they feel came
this week in q reciprocal trade
ring which found Mr.. Dulles
taking the witness stand. Sem
ator Kerr suddenly asked him.
almost contemporary, who
leaked the Yalta papers. Mr..
Dulles neck Redeemed but he
did not reply. Senator Kerr
told him then. still with that
trace Of insolence, that he need
not reply.
Senator Kerr is not a menu
Der of Foreign Relations. but
two experienced Questioners,
Senators Morse and Humphrey
are. They will carry on and
demand the answer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

The President also, in effect,
rebuked Admiral Carney, Chief
of Naval Operations, whose
observations on China evoked
a substantial war scare. This
act got quick results. Gen.
Twining, Air Force Chief Of
Staff, was to have dined of
the record with a group Of re-
porters and he cancelled out.
The Senate gave a strong
hint of its temper when the
Foreign Relations Committee
unexpectedly voted to question
Secretary of State Dulles about
the circumstances surround
ing the release Of the Yaltas
papers. The Secretary in part
can thank the Hon. Thruston
Morton, Assistant Secretary Of
State, for that kind invitation.
Mr.. Morton confided to the
Senators in a letter that pub
LEGATION of the Yalta papers
helped in the French ratif1ca-
ton of the agreements to re-
arm Western Germany. All
news reports from Paris said
the French we're furious about
it. "Effrontery" was one of the
kinder words applied by the
CALLED Democrats to MIR. Nor
tons reasoning. They also feel
it denied Senator George credit
due him.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Doris Fleeson-

Both sides of the divided
government had trouble with
their politics and publicity this
week.
The Eisenhower administra-
ton was confronted with a
series of news Situations which
embarrassed the President,
angered some of the press and
aroused the Senate.
Democrats were caught of
base again In their. efforts to
find grounds for their cam
paign to cut President Essen
how,r down to size. The Of
fend n. Senator Nicely. says he
is NIT abashed by criticism of
his criticism of the Presidents
reco ID as a practicing church
goer His colleagues, however.
will be glad to see the subject
dropped.
The Presidents emotions
were reflected in some sharp
and heated telephone CONVEX
sations with the civilian sec
retaries in the Pentagon. The
result is a new order from
Secretary of Defense Wilson
designed to silence some of the
laxative military.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Constantine Brown

The confusion in Washing
ton concerning possible early
outbreak of hostilities in the
Far East is really not as great
as it appears. Political and
military strategists. from the.
highest to the lowest echelons.
agree that the situation is
tense and will grow more
tense In the weeks ahead.
And they agree that the de-
cision for war or peace is in
the hands of the Communists.
AS things stand today an
about attack against the Chi
nese offshore islands .indicat-
ing a follow-up against For,
mosa will be resisted by the
United States with all the
means at our disposal.
Statements from political
leaders that war talk does not
help the cause Of peace: or
that cliques surrounding Pres
ident Eisenhower are plotting
to get us into a war are char
acteristic of democratic coun-
tries where all kinds of opin-
ions, some of which may serve
a particular political purpose,
can be expressed frankly.
Whether talk in this coun-
try is strong or mild viii not
influence the decisions of the
Communist dictators. They
have indicated that they want
Formosa. and unless that
stronghold is offered to them
on a silver platter they in
tend to take a calculated risk
to get it. In this they hope
that our allies will tie our
hands as they did in the case
of Korea.
Our guessing game on the
Red timing has been mar
rowed to these three possibili-
ties:
"a The Chinese Communists
may take advantage Of the
propitious weather conditions
Of the monsoon season and
attack at least the Matsu
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Dovid Lawrence

Just q little more than Is
years ago a high official Of the
United States Government. held
a background" conference
with a number of Washington
newsmen. He told them dip
lomatic negotiations with
Japan had virtually ended,
that the next step was any
body's guess and that it looked
to him like war. Ten days
later came the attack on Pearl
Harbor.
Now, what was the duty Of
the American press and par
ticularly of the high official in
those ten days? He was the
Undersecretary Of State, Sum-
ner Welles, who was known to
be in the inner councils of the
President. He was not then to
be quoted or identified as the
source.
Supposing the rule which
President Eisenhower an
nounced to his press conference
this week had been in effect
as an order from the Govern
ment-that officials should not
speculate even in private talks
with the press about the pos
sibility of war. The blame for
failing to ward off the Pearl
Harbor attack would have been
clearly on the Washington
government because OF its eff
fort to keep significant news
Developments from the people.
AS 1t was, despite the fact
that some news articles re-
flected what Mr.. Welles had
said. a lot Of wishful think
ing was being done those days
by everybody. including some
high military officials who
were so convinced that Japan
would not attack that they
didn't even take the trouble
to order the American feet
to leave Pearl Harbor and
never sent a mobilization or
der to cause the Navy to go on
a war basis.
The psychology everywhere
else in Washington. aside
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

to allow the United Nations to
continue its efforts.
He has made clear that in his
opinion the U. N. has made no
Roadway.
Senator Knowland temporarily
dropped his demand for action
by the United States after Presi-
dent Eisenhower in January
called for restraint by all Ameri-
cans in the situation. Mr.,
Eisenhower said blockade was
an act of war.
The Eisenhower appeal was
coupled to U. N. Secretary Gen.
Ieral Dag Hammarskjold's Janu-
airy mission to Peiping to nego-
tiate the airmen's release. When
the U. N. official returned he
made q private report to Sec
Rotary Of State Dulles. It was
announced that negotiations
were in progress.
Since then. there has been
official silence. The President,
asked DIT his news conference
wednesday whether the United
States has received any recent
report, said: only the report
that they are still working
actively In this field. That is
the report"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Fletcher Knebel
Potomac Fever

Prime Minister of India the world situation is
growing Things happening fast Ner is afraid
the side he decides to jump not be there more
The State Department indicates it bringing
farm delegation That's novel place for foreigners
to see our corn. Most of them to Washington
Democratic Representative Price crusadng
knights riding backward. They've got long to
though before they do it bndfoded like the Democrats
used to.
Senate will probe release of the Yaa Expected
question: Mr. Dulles is it true this Assistant Secretary
fault?" Dulles II refuse to back McCarde
I'm afraid to let him out Of my sight"
The Krenlin shifts thousands leaders the
will explain that Russas crop SURPRISES became
that bueaucrats had be sent to the
eat them up.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Confusion Is Mostly IIIusory
Any All-Out Attock Mutsu and Quemoy, if 1t Indicates
FoLow-Up Against Formoso, Will Be Resisted byUS

Islands sometime IN April. It
is pointed out that the Afro
Asian conference in Indonesia
starts April 10. It is possible
that Peiping leaders may wish
to appear before the Afro
Asian delegates with the Mat
sus as a feather in their cap.
t2) American and British
political observers. however,
believe that Chou En-lai may
wish to appear as q man of
peace and will hold his fire
until the conference is over.
He may take the position that
Communist China is very
much aggrieved by the injus-
tees Of the American war
rnongering imperialists" and
has displayed more than nor
NAL patience in reconquering
her own territories in the
Formosa Strait. He may or
der the unleashing of an Of
fensive only after the Afro
Asian conference is over.
CD The third possibility is
that the Chinese Peoples
Republic" may wait for q Big
-Four conference, which is con-
sidered a certainty at the for
eign minister's level and a
strong probability at the
heads-of-states level. There
is no doubt that the Soviet
representative would somehow
or other manage to inject the
China matter at such a parley
and force Chou's presence at
the gathering. Molotov per-
formed this feat at the Berlin
foreign ministers meeting in
1854 and there is no plausible
reason to believe he won't be
able to do it again. The British
and French governments are
very much in sympathy with
such a device and it is hardly
conceivable that our own dele
cation win stand its ground.
now any more than it did a
year ago, when it is outvoted
8 to /.
There is no question that
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Dorothy Ihompson-
The Joke That Was Not q Joke
Britons Have More Reason to Be Proud of church,
AtWortine PorIeys Thon We Do Of Roosevelt

The President, who had told
the story as an amusing a1ec-
dote. laughed again.
/ was greatly shocked and
after a pause said, II am
afraid that / am also very
much annoyed with you. Mr..
President"
The President said: Nov
you don't think ! meant it,
Dorothy ] was only trying
to avert a quarrel"
/ answered that I was sure
he hadn't meant it. but that
I feared Stain thought he had
meant it. and didn't it. in
effect, give the Presidents
approval to anything Stain
might decide to do about pris-
oners in Russian hands. add
ing that I didn't think he
needed any encouragement to
be brutal-that he was not a
Christian gentleman.
That was the last word on
this subject because the Presi-
dent did not reply but turned
to Miss Perkins.
I couldn't get over it. /
argued to myself that the Pres
ident was known to speak i'm
pulsively and say half banter
ingly things he didn't mean at
adjust to make a diversion;
overcome an awkward moment
after all, the rest Of us do
that sometimes too, and heaven
forbid that everything ! have
ever said off-hand should be
taken as my serious meaning.
Also, I argued, one can en-
phasize the absurdity Of a pro-
posal by treating it With ex-
aggerated irony. I concluded
that that was what the Presi-
Gent haQ done.
just the same my mind kept
gnawing at the anecdote. This
had happened at an interna-
tional conference. Russia had
never signed the. Hague con-
ventions. and the war in all
conscience had been brutal
enough. All my sympathy
more. my admiration - was
with Churchill, who had de-
Tended In the name Of His
Majesty what used to be called
the common decencies." what
used to be called "chivalry."
Churchill. in his memoirs. later
alluded to this incident with
out giving himself the credit
President Roosevelt did in his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Air Force 10 Test
Plastic Fuel Tanks
RY the Associated press

The Air Force announced to-
day an experiment to substitute
plastic for aluminium in auxiliary
fuel tanks for airplanes.
The plastic tanks, like those of
aluminium, would be dropped
when they are empty.
The Air Force said the nodded
products division of Admiral
Corp, Chicago, has entered the
production phase Of a research
and development contract award
ed three years ago by the Air
Materiel Command.
The plastic tanks are heavier
than aluminium ones and just as
expensive, the Air Force said.
But aluminium is q scarce COM
modify, and dropped aluminium
tanks can be salvaged and re-
used by the enemy. 1t said this
was demonstrated in the Korean
war when thousands Of pounds
of aluminium alloy fell into
enemy hands through the drop
ping of wing tanks.
The Air Force said 1t UNDER
took to develop plastic wing
tanks. reinforced with fiberglass,
in operation with the British
and Canadian Air Forces.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Dorothy Thompson

It was from President Roose-
welt himself that I first heard
of Stains toast to the post
war execution of $4,000 Ger
man officers.
Between the Teheran and
Yalta conferences my husband
and I had been invited to dine
at the White House, just with
the family. Only four women
were present: Mrs. Roosevelt,
the Presidents daughter Anna,
Frances Perkins and !. Miss
Perkins, therefore, was seated
at the Presidents right and I
at his left, and until the
conversation became general.
toward the close of the meal,
the President divided his at
tention between us.
Perhaps l asked him some
questions about Teheran. /
don't now recall. But what the
President said ! remember
clearly, and also ! wrote it
down Immediately afterward.
though / never published it.
having had a quantity old
fashioned notion that what is
told one as a private guest Is
of the record.
The President said, speaking
amusedly: There was an awk-
ward moment at the confer
ence. Toasts were being Of
fered and suddenly Stain stood
up and said that so far we
hadn't discussed what to do
with the Germans; he didn't
anticipate much trouble with
the people-they were all
right-but we had to get rid
of the officer class and he pro-
posed that after the war SO, 900
German officers should be ex-
ecuted. Whereupon he raised
his glass.
Churchill, the President
continued, looked frightfully
shocked and growled, Ellis
Majesty's government does
not execute prisoners Of war"
Stalin's face darkened. so I
grinned and raised my glass
saying / thought $4,000 was
too many and we should settle
for $4,000. Stain laughed de-
lightedly and came around the
table to embrace me. But
Churchill wouldn't drink the
toast. He was very grumpy
and afterward said to me.
"I'm very much annoyed with
you"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

from the news conference with
Mr.. Welles, was one Of COM
placency. This attitude cost
the lives of 5000 American
boys at Pearl Harbor-rnostly
in the United States Navy.
Admiral Carney. Chief Of
Naval Operations. told a group
OF newsmen and broadcasters
at a private dinner here q
week or so ago some facts
about the way the Communist
Chinese are developing their
military buildup for a possible
attack on Matsu and the QUE
moy Islands. The understand
ing was that he was not to
be quoted. In accordance with
custom and tradition, he was
merely giving the newsmen
briefing on the capabili-
ties of the Communist Chi
neSe.
But today Admiral Carney
is being singled out as the
goat. The President tells q
press conference that he de-
plores speculation on the pos
sibility that war might break
out in mid-April or at any
other time in the Far East.
The Secretary of Defense is
clamping down on all talks
by military men to the news
men on current problems.
A blackout of news from
military sources would be a
dangerous thing for the Amer
lean people. Yet Mr.. Eisen-
hover, apparently influenced
by a political opposition in
Congress, is taking the posi-
ton that there should not be
any speculation about the pos
sibllity of any warfare in the
Far East. Had there been more
speculation in December, l941.
Gen. Marshall. intimate friend
of Mr.. Eisenhower and also
Chief of Staff of the Army at
the time, might himself have
been alerted to the possible
ties Of war and might not
have been out horseback rid
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

D. Taylor. 53-year-old hero Of
Bastogne.
The command gave Gen. Hull
a final military salute earlier
today in the same theater where
Japanese war crimes trials were
held.
Rain forced the ceremony in
doors.
Gen. Taylor formerly COM
manded the multi-nation 9Th
Army in Korea and all United
States Army troops In the Far
East. Gen. Lyman K. Lemnit-
ger takes over both Of Gen. Tay-
lor's old jobs.
Gen. and Mrs. Hull will spend
several days In Hawaii en- route
to Washington, ID. c.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

conversation with me, II he
meant it to be credit.
Anyhow. nobody did execute
$4,000 German officers unless
the Russians did. Hundreds
of thousands Of German SOL
diers and officers have not re-
turned from Russian prison
camps. Who knows?
The anecdote recalled to my
mind the execution of the 5000
Polish officers In the Katyn
Forest earlier in the war. Until
then ! had believed that the
Nazis probably did it, but now
1t was perfectly clear that Sta
lin was capable of doing it.
His remarks indicated his
fear Of officers as a class and
II he intended to subdue Po-
land, they would, as a class.
be an obstacle. Later the evi-
dence was overwhelming that
the executioner Of those brave
allies was the Soviet Union.
My second shock came with
the publication of the Yalta
papers. For at Yalta not
Stain, but Roosevelt. brought
the subject up again, saying
he felt even more bloodthirsty
than he had the year before
and that he hoped Stain
would again propose a toast
to the execution of SO, 900 Ger
man officers!
Now my excuses broke down
and my disillusionment was
complete. But disbursement
with what, with whom? Not
only with the President in
that critical moment but with
the mentality that modern
war creates: the perversion Of
every principle. every civilized
standard, every human sensi-
bility. And. it seems to me.
worst of all among civilians,
the vicariously bloodthirsty
who never, themselves, fire a
shot, or are in danger Of hav-
ing their own blood Spille6.
Churchill, the old soldier.
fighter during his long life ON
many battlefronts. was far and
away the most humane. the
most magnanimous. the most
civilized figure at those un-
happy meetings.
His Majesty's government
does not execute prisoners Of
war" Let Britons be proud
Of those words. How ! wish
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
Gen. Hull Leaves Far East
For U. 5. and Retirement

TOKYO, April ! (R.-Gen
John E. Hull gave up his last
command in a 37-year Army
career at noon today and left
by plane for the United States
and retirement.
The tall. bald, 60-year-old SOL
dier--a major architect of the
World War II invasion Of Eu-
rope-turned the United Ma
ton anud United States Far East
Command he has held for IS
fnonths-oyer to Gen. Maxwell
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

the MatSus can be conquered
by the Chinese Communists IL
they want to pay an exorbitant
price in human lives while
Washington is bordering
whether such an attack actu-
ally represents an immediate
threat to the security of For
moSa.
There may be q repetition
of the Dien Bien Phu ''inci-
dent" The loss Of that fort
ress, while serious. did not
necessarily mean the collapse
of the French-Viet Nam de-
tense forces. Only 10000
troops, the majority Of whom
were casualties, were lost when
that fortress fell. The re-
naming anti-C o m m u mist
forces exceeded 100000. Yet
the impact of the surrender
of the stronghold was such
that the French and Wet
Namese lost heart and gave up
without any further attempt to
defeat their enemy.
The Diem Bien Phu tragedy
occurred about the time of the
parleys at Geneva for settle
ment of the Indo-C China con-
flict. And both the French
and their Wet Namese allies
ignored our advice and decided
that complete surrender was
the best way out.
The Communists may reckon
on a repetition. They may
count on a break In the mo-
rale Of the Chinese National
lists If they lose their offshore
islands. Further. they may
count on American apathy
. preventing lis from taking q
stand for a cause which then
appears to be lost.
Whichever Of the three pos
Sibilities may occur this year.
there are few. II any. respon-
sible observers in Washington
who believe that there won't
be a Communist aggression In
the near future.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01

"a i e. /. y + 81 If.
an American had spoken them.
THE United States of Amer
lea does not execute prisoners
Of war"
Had they been uttered then,
would we not now have q
stronger base for demanding
the release Of our own prison.
ers In Red China2 Maybe Mao
Tze-tung is feeling more
''bloodthirsty" now than ever!
Not a word is spoken but.
like a stone hurled into q pool,
It's waves and ripples beat
upon distant shores. in distant
time.
We should mind our tongues
Or hold them.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
| KnoWIand 10 Renew
| Demand for Release
|0f IS Held by Reds
BY the Associated Press

Senator Knowland, Republican
of California, said he viii renew
In the Senate today his demand
for action to free is American
airmen jailed in Red China.
But the. @. o. P. leader gave
no hint what he might say.
Senator Knowland has called
for direct action, such as a naval
blockade of the China coast.
Last month he said he would not
press his demand until April I
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
2 Of 3 cors Have Radios

| DETROIT Passenger auto
mobiles now absorb about SO per-
cent Of the total radio production
in the United States. Two OF
three cars are equipped with ra-
! dio receivers.
Evening star., 1955-03-10
MA RoD 7HoMAS.

and Mrs. Carmen Landon OF
Prince Georges, secretary treas
urer. Mrs. Trew succeeds Mrs
Julia Friedenson of Woodmont
who set fast pace as an execu-
tive.
Best bowlers in the Capital
Women's Major League last
night were Ann Habercom OF
VIM. c. Voight, 1882; Bobbie
Jones of H. B. Leary, 1888; Ron
ME Knoblett, Goetz Co., 168-374;
Louise Vance. Lustine- -Nichol-
son, 373; Julie Rapczynski
Mann's Decorators, $40; Alice
Beall. King Pin, 1863; Anita
Trott, Miller Furniture. 365 and
Dorothy Nickels, Easy Method
Driving, 150-364.
Shutout victories were scored
by the Leary, Mann and Voight
teams and 2-l winners were
Miller, Easy Method and Voight
The standings: Greenway, 44-
81; King Pin 42-33; Voight. Al
"a; Lustine-N Nicholson, 1896;
Goetz, 37-38; Miller, 37-38;
Mann's. 36-39; Leary, 35-41 and
Fulford's Radio, 34-41.