davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
Soviet Livinq Standard

During the first half of this year,
according to Soviet statistical report,
the Russian people achieved consider
able increase" in the production of con-
sumner goods and enjoyed rise in their
standard of living. But the report is
StudiouSly vague as to the dimensions of
these gains, and there is good reason to
assume that they have amounted to very
little.
This is so because of the nature Of
the Kremlin'S current f1ve-year plan for
internal economic development After
all, as put into effect last January, the
plan calls for an all-out effort to build
up heavy industry primarily for military
purpoSeS) between now and the end of
1860. True, it calls also for a sharp
increase in agricultural production and in
the construction of acutely needed houS-
ing, but its predominant characteristic
is that it rules out the possibility of a
major expansion in the consumer goods
field. AS result. with their population
growing at rate of about million
yearly, the people Of Russia, in addition
to having to put up with short meat sup
plies and generally bleak diet, can
hardly hope to escape continuing lack
OF personal and household necessities, and
OF 'luxuries" like refrigerators and auto
mobiles as we'll
Actually, Soviet production of such
items is so deficient that considerable
increase" in it would be little more than
drop in the bucket to Russia's huge
population, which enjoys nothing re-
motely comparable to the American out
put of civilian goods. BY the same token,
the relatively very low living standard of
these people would have to rise much
higher than the Kremlin has indicated
before they could feel marked improve
ment in their lot. Indeed, as long as they
are driven to carry out flve-year plans
that concentrate chiefly on heavy indus
try, they will have little or no chance to
score really important gains in their
personal economic status Perhaps their
discomfort will grow accordingly.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
Expeditinq Traffic

Traffic Director Keneipp's proposal
that speed limits be raised slightly on
certain streets is designed to expedite the
flow of traffic where conditions indicate
that 1t would be safe to do so. It is a
realistic plan which, in effect, would le-
galize speeds that have become customary
on some main thoroughfares, although
technically forbidden by law. Studies
have shown that on such streets there has
been no rise in accident hazards, despite
the above-the limit speeds that have
prevailed.
The local proposal is in line with a
national trend toward raising urban
speed limits and thus facilitating the
movement Of traffic over widened and
otherwise improved city streets. Recently
the National Committee on Uniform
Traffic Laws and Ordinances revised the
national standard vehicle code to approve
80 miles an hour on selected city streets.
Heretofore the codes top speed limit
was rs miles an hour. Some cities already
have raised the maximum legal speed
to IS or more miles an hour, depending
on the nature of the street and its
QUILL oNCC0o WOuAQ NC VI
course, on streets in shopping or school
areas.
However, where there are long
stretches Of improved highway within
city, with little cross traffic or other
perils, it is frustrating to motorists to be
restrained by speed limits fixed Is years
ago-as is the case here. Inevitably the
tendency is to ignore the speed signs AS
result traffic generally moves about Ave
miles an hour faster than is legally per-
MISSILE. Police have tolerated such
margin, as rule. Mr.. Keneipp, after
study Of traffic conditions and accident
records on some Of Washington's heavily
Travelled streets, has become convinced
that flve-mile- an-hour increase is justi-
fed on at least I'VE outlying streets. We
believe that the plan is sound.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

we are always sizing up other
people-by their looks and
words, their attitudes and &C
tions. The personality of
another is always registering
on the delicate instrument Of
impressions and appraisals
which is a part Of our equip
ment. Isn't it passing strange
that. as William Lyon Phelps
wrote in his whimsical way, "A
man who seems so dissatisfied
with nearly everything, who is
dissatisfied with the weather,
with the President, with his
employment, with his neigh
Dor, with his income, should
be so satisfied with himself?
Dissatisfaction. like charity.
should begin at home" If it
really did, with ourselves, and
we should resign from any one
of life's vital relationships
we took ourselves out of the
picture could we honestly
suggest ourselves for the
vacancy?
What is happening to the
family in America is one of
the most ominous symptoms
of our ailing and failing civ
ilization. Not long ago a lovely
young woman came to me
with bottled-up emotions to
talk about her father. She
had been driven almost to
desperation by his hardness of
heart. his utter lack of un-
derstanding, his inability to
enter sympathetically into the
life of a growing girl. Across
the years he had so robbed her
of all that a true father ought
to be to his daughter that she
frankly blurted out, in our
talk, that she hated him-she
wouldn't care if she never saw
him again. He had completely
failed her on every count.
She was holding up the picture
of a father who would not be
reelected. But l saw some
thing quite different not long
after which indicated that
another father would be in
stantly reelected if one could
imagine that he would resign.
Another young girl lay in a
hospital bed - fortunately
headed toward complete re-
covery. Glowingly she told me
about her dad who, because
the mother had gone on years
before, had really been both
father and mother to his
daughter. On the bureau was
a little poem she herself had
written, and had had framed.
In lifting lines she described
her ideal father. ending with:
Il thank Thee, Lord, for
giving me such a dad!" No
question about his election
when the returns were all in!
Those lines light UP every
one of life's other relation
ships and throw a searchlight
upon the question, Would
you be re-elected?"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
THE GAME OF POLITICS
Plank Needed to Bridge Racial Gulf
BY FRANK r. KENT

On the eve of this Demo-
cratic Convention in Chicago.
it is clear to note that the only
two active Democrats left in the
presidential nomination field
are Gov. Stevenson of Illinois
and Gov. Hartman of New
York. All the otherS-Lausche,
Symington, Kefauver and the
labor-bossed candidate, Gov.
"Soapy" Williams, Of Michi-
gan, have subsidized to secondary
roles. The odds, of course, have
heavily favored Mr.. Stevenson
for the past few weeks. 1t is
now generally conceded that he
will be nominated on the first
ballot. pick his running mate
and have supporting him all his
unsuccessful party rivals,
In brief, he will have exactly
what he had four years ago
when the Republican ticket of
Eisenhower and Nixon over
whelmed him. There probably
will be no obvious split in the
party after the convention.
But that does not mean that,
despite the Frank Sinatra act
and other more or less circusy
devices on the program, and
Notwithstanding the new con-
fidence" which the party prop,
agandiStS have so effectively
promoted, there is an exceed
ingly painful proposition which
the party strategistS are doing
their utmost to gloss over
and may succeed.
A Double Dilemma
This, Of course, is the So
called "civil-rights" plank
which must 60 in the platform
an6 which. if the Democrats
are not to be really riven,
must bridge what has been
called the deepest and widest
gulf in the world"-to wit, that
created by the racial issue.
The real problem with which
the Democrats once more are
confronted is how to frame
their platform so as to placate
the large number of Negro
voters in the North, anxious to
push the deSegregation order
of the Supreme Court to the
extreme limit, with the white
Democrats of the South.
equally anxious to nullify the
courts decree and maintain
the segregation without which
they would find life almost
intolerable.
Nevertheless, the Democrats
were able to do exactly that
from the campaign of 1896 to
the campaign of 1852, which
means through all the Roose-
velt-Truman regimes. In 1852.
for the first time since the ex-
tremely astute Farley Guffey-
Roosevelt plan of transfer
ring the solid Negro vote, for
three generations a Repub-
lican asset. to their own party.
the Negroes began to drift back
to their old Republican
mornings. Concededly, this
racial issue is more pro-
nounced this year than in any
since the Civil War. 1t will
require not only considerable
dishonesty and deceit but a
large degree of skill for the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

which you live? If as a huS-
band you should resign. would
you be reelected by the one
you once took as life's COM
panion "for better or for
worse?" If you were to resign
as father, would your chill
dren re-elect you? If as an
employee you were to resign,
would those who determine the
personnel of the firm you
serve be anxious to retain you?
That is to say: Have you made
yourself, by your own atti-
tudes, the indispensable man
in the vital relationships which
tie your life to that of others?
There is an even more prob
ing question which ought to
have a place on any such
QUESTIONABLE of self-examina-
ton. 1t is so intimate and
personal that there is about
it something like the flash of
: q looking glass where all is
shut out but our own features.
Such a mirror suggests this
interrogation: With the judy
ment that the glass reveals, if
I were fair and unprejudiced
in my appraisal of what l
really mean TO others. and do
for others, could I consistently
vote for my own reelection,
if in some queer pique I re-
signed? In other words, would
I hire myself?
A committee had begun to
frame a resolution which had
to do with the British queen.
1t began: Being conscious. as
we are, Of our defects" But
Lord Melish, who had arrived
a bit late and having had read
to him what had already been
written. exclaimed: mo, no,
that will not do. Do not let us
lie to Her Majesty Change it
to Being conscious, as we are,
of each others faults" That
was nearer the truth.
Whether we will it so or not.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

Democrats to hold support Of
these bitterly discordant ele-
ments. The task is more diff
ficult this time because many
Negro leaders in the North
and many leading white Demo-
Gratis in the South have be-
come acutely aware that they
have been the victims of a
sucker game; that the
RooSevelt-Truman politicians
have been playing both ends
against the middle for many
years.
In Mr.. Stevenson they will
have a candidate especially
equipped to meet this situa-
ton. Unhampered by any
overrigidity of principle, Mr..
Stevenson is counted upon to
handle this plank himself and
avoid the pitfalls in which it
is so easy to fall. His ability
to adapt himself to any pro-
gram that seems expedient was
amply demonstrated four years
ago when, at the crack of
Walter Reuther's whip, he
quickly reversed his position
on the Taft-Hartley Act from
that OF regarding it as a good
law, only needing a few
amendments, to a slave labor
law" which must be- repealed.
In view of that record it is
hardly surprising that, while
still processing moderation to
hold the South, he has now
called for "unequivocal APP
prevail" of the Supreme Courts
anti-segregation ruling to at.
tract the North.
Aided by Mrs. Roosevelt
However, the perils of his
position are somewhat lesSened
by the unrestricted support of
an individual whose voice is
probably the most potent with
Negroes in the whole country.
This, of course, is that of Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt. Long be-
fore her husband in 1886 en-
tered into the Farley-Guffey
scheme Of stealing the Negroes
from the Republicans, Mrs.
Roosevelt had been battling for
racial equality, and not only in
the schools but in all the other
ways which Southern white
Democrats find so deeply abb
horrent. She is the leading
and most sincere advocate of
racial equality, and there is no
question but that Mr.. Steven
sons victory in the California
primary was more due to her
than to any other single per-
son. 1t remains to be seen
how Mrs. Roosevelt's support,
coupled with that of her two
sons, the unctuous James and
the almost equally unctuous
Franklin. jr.. can help Mr..
Stevenson meet this rather
difficult situation. His closest
friends believe he can measure
up to it. Others somewhat
ominously say that. with the
passage Of time, both the Ne
groes in the North and the
white Democrats of the South
have become smarter. They
can't remain suckers forever.
The bait is too stale to be used
indefinitely.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Ivan the Terrible in Leningrad
formerly st. Petersburg at
practically the same time. For
the information Of the learned
rabbi, I have the unpleasant
task to remind him that Ivan
the Terrible died several CEN
turtles before Peter the Great
was even born. and unless
Rabbi Kertzer is a firm be-
lever in reincarnation in the
manner Of the notorious Bride
Murphy, such phenomenon is
possible but highly improbable.
Eugene Esten.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
Newsmen Too Nosey?

1t was wonderful to see
President Eisenhower looking
so well and speaking so vigor-
ously via his televised news
conference. We wonder If he
knows how much his honest
and courteous answers to even
the most intimate questions
regarding his health" in
creases our respect and affec-
ton for him.
In all fairness however, we
can not say the same for some
Of his questioners. For even
the lowliest and most obscure
individual. in much less public
circumstances. might we'll feel
that a question regarding
the state Of his "diarrhea" was
extremely presumptuous and
needlessly lacking in the sim
plest rules Of good taste.
We wonder too, II the re-
porter who told the President
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

that his friends in Gettysburg
thought he ought to quit be-
cause he might not last an
other four years" realized how
callously cold-blooded and in
different such a suggestion
must have sounded to a man
just returning to his job after
a seige Of illness?
Since the President has been
i'll. we know newspaper men
must keep the public in
formed. We believe that the
vast majority Of newsmen will
do this in a responsible
fashion.
For it is only fair to note
that those writers who pre-
sent themselves as rather
heartless. Historically inclined
hypochrondriacs are the same
writer's who worry so about
our prestige" abroad, and
think so little Of 1t at home.
Couldn't we extend the
same courtesy to the President
that we so gladly offer our
most casual acquaintance?
SOnne
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE STAR

A disastrous earthquake
shook Chile half a century ago.
On August 10. 1906, The Star
reported: Fully 5000 persons,
according to the latest dis
patches from Santiago de
Chile. lost their lives in the
Valparaiso disaster. Santiago
also suffered severely. Thirty
people were killed there and
the property loss is placed at
81 million. Except the fore
going. no estimates of the
damages and casualties caused
by the earthquake in Chile
had been received at New York
up to IL o'clock tonight and
the above dispatch lacks con-
f1rmation. Panic reigns in
both cities. The people are in
the grip of fear of further
shocks and are fleeing. The
disturbances have covered a
wide area. A number of minor
towns have been either de-
stroyed or materially dam
aged. ="
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
A Senator Seeks Reflection
BY DR.. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

in this election year. Let us
frame a worthwhile question
in this way: AS you think of
your various relationships, if
you were to resign would you
be reelected? If you, as a
citizen or a neighbor, were to
resign, would you be voted
back by the community in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

submarines. In Mr.. Morse's words, its
coming will surely mark historic mo-
ment in maritime history" and the fact
that our country is undertaking to build
it "highlights the Presidents wish for a
demonstration of the benefits to mankind
of the peaceful application of this new
source of power" All success to the
venture!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
HosteIry

A unique "hotel" was de-
scribed in a Star story so years
ago. On August 10, 1906, The
Star said: Many of the hui
man hostelries and caravan
saries of the Capital-veritable
beehives of activity in the sea-
Son-are not content with the
amount of patronage that is
theirs at this time. The Hotel
Schmid,' however, is doing a
land Office business, and its
register shows an unprece-
dented number of guests. The
type of guests almost runs the
gamut of the animal kingdom.
although there is not room for
white elephants. AS it is, the
patrons include pretty nearly
everything from black snakes
to canaries. The Hotel
Schmid' is located on Twelfth
street near G. {. When FASH
ionable Washingtonians HE
themselves away for their sum-
mer fun, as a general thing
they do not take their pets
with them for obvious reasons.
Consequently accommoda-
lions are engaged at Schmid's
The star boarder of the
Schmid Hotel is a Mexican
double-headed parrot that is
the property Of President
Roosevelt. :"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
Religion in Russia

It was with considerable in
terest that I read the report of
Rabbi Kertzer on his trip to the
Soviet Union. Among others.
the rabbi asked this curious
question Of his host: What
about the right Of a group to
perpetuate itself-the right to
organize religious schools?" OF
course the answer was known
before the question was asked.
But the rabbi, on his return
to America. might well ask a
similar question: America,
what about the right Of a
group to perpetuate itself-the
right To organize racial
schools?"
AS the Soviet has restricted
religious freedom. so America
has restricted racial freedom.
While the rabbi is concerned
with the future OF religion
rather than race, millions OF
Americans are quite concerned
over the future of their race
and culture. They too wonder
about the right Of a group TO
perpetuate itself, not in the
Soviet but right here in Amer
lea. The influence Of Marx.
who asked the destruction of
race as we'll as OF religion, APP
pears not TO be restricted 70
the Soviet.
II. MertE, Jr.
49,
In his series on religious life
In Russia, Rabbi Morris Kert-
ger places Peter the Great and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

incident. news of which may
reach Japan in distorted form.
There is no intention of offer
ing an apology or any further
regret than is contained in
this dispatch. as the State
Department regards the Japa-
nese fishermen as poach-
erS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
Scorned

A particularly obstinate
woman was making persistent
attempts to speak to someone
In the first family so years
ago. On August 10, 1906. The
Star reported. "A dispatch
from Oyster Bay. L. l., last
night says: While President
Roosevelt and his family were
attending Christ Episcopal
Church this morning the serv-
ices were disturbed and corfsid-
cradle excitement was caused
by the attempts Miss Eliza
beth Case, or Escasil, as she
calls herself. made to speak
with the President. Miss Case
is the woman who has been
trying for a month TO see Mr..
Roosevelt on some mysterious
mission. Today her dress was
rumpled and her watch chain
broken in a struggle with
Secret Service men who tried
to keep her at a distance from
the President and his family.
She was not arrested. II has
been Miss Cases custom ever
since she followed the Presi-
dent TO Oyster Bay over a
month ago TO attend church
each Sunday and get a seat
near the pew occupied by the
Presidents family. II is
said she believes herself
wronged in a love affair by
some man prominent in poll
tics. She dresses always in a
simple black dress. and wher-
ever she goes carries with her
a bundle Of letters in o net
bag"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
yibe at Junkets

Why should the CAB. spend
more time investigating the
crash Of planes in the Grand
Canyon? Didn't five OF our
congressman sacrifice their
time and duties and spend a
week or 10 days at Las Vegas
getting all the facts-no doubt
between turns Of the roulette
wheels and clangs Of the one
armed bandits? Observer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
New

Something new in railroad
ing was reported in The Star
on August 8, 1906. The story
said: with several officials of
the company aboard. a Strang
gas-electric railway car
reached this city from Phila-
delphia about IL O'Clock today
over the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad. and was inspected
by many interested persons.
AT about 2 o'clock this after
noon the car left the station
for Kansas City, where it is to
be put into operation on the
Missouri and Kansas Inter-
urban Railway. s. The front
end Of the car is given over to
the engine and machinery
with which the car is run. g.
This car does away with power
stations, third rails and trolley
wires, for 1t carries its power
house with it. The car makes
SIS miles an hour on level
stretches of track, but its
ordinary speed will be about
40 miles an hour :"
Ruid
An international incident
was brewing so years ago
when several .boatloads OF Jap
anese fishermen we're caught
poaching in the seal rookeries
in the Pribilof Islands. On
August 8. 1906, The Star re-
ported: Five Japanese were
shot and killed on the island
Of st. Paul OF the Pribilof
group by order Of the agent Of
the Department Of Commerce
and Labor on July II. as the
result OF a raid by four Japa-
neSe schoonerS on the seal
rookeries. The revenue cutter
Mccullough reached here to-
day from st. Paul with ~ pris-
oners. two seriously wounded,
who we're turned over 10 Dep
uty Marshal Harmon. Z"
In another story that day.
The Star said that the State
Department had sent details
to Tokyo. The story contin-
ued: I'm sending the dis
patch, the acting Secretary
states that 1t is forwarded for
the purpose Of giving infor-
nation such as this Govern
ment has Of . resrettable
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12

In his series on religious life
In Russia, Rabbi Morris Kert-
ger places Peter the Great and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-22

later told reporters he was tires
after the trip to Washington ane
had nothing to say.
They Met in 1851
She said she first met the
playwright on a Hollywood sci
lin 1851, but their romance
lowered only in the past two
months.
It will be the third marriage
for the comedy orphan girl who
rose to cinema fame on the
strength Of a nude calendar
photograph and a series OF
dumb-hlon roles. At 16 she
married Jim Daugherty, West
Coast aircraft mechanic. The
marriage ended quickly in a
separation and then a divorce
in 1916. In 1851, after hitting
the box Office heights, she mar
ried Joe DiMaggio. former New
New York Yankee baseball star,
and divorced him nine months
later.
Mr.. Miller. Al, won the New
York drama critic award with
"All My Sons" in 1914. and both
the critics award and the Pulitzer