davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04

would like to have more businessmen on
the school board. Two of the members
whose terms will expire at the end Of the
fiscal year are attorneys (Dr. Rowland
F. Kinks and Robert r. Faulkner) and one
is college professor (Mrs. Margaret Just
Butcher). However, it is not easy to find
businessmen or, in fact, citizens engaged
in professions or other activities who, be-
sides being generally qualified for board
membership, can afford to give the time
involved in such public service. But the
Board of Education's tasks are so impor-
tant that any citizen tapped for such duty
ought to serve If it is at all practicable
for him to do 80. At the least; citizens
and civic groups should take full advan-
tage of the invitation to assist the judges
in picking the best available candidates
for the forthcoming vacancies.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Crisis in the Schools

A series of articles, the first Of which
appears in todayS Star, is designed to
demonstrate by some specific illustrations
the need for more teachers in Washing
tons crowded public school system.
The disturbing conditions pictured in
these articles are not the result of in
tegration. Integration, however, is ex-
posing some of them in new light. In
tegration has presented additional EVIL
dence that for years sort Of double
standard of achievement prevailed as be-
tween the white and colored divisions
standards presumably rejecting. more
than anything else, disparity between
home environment and background Of
the pupils.
With the merger of the white and
colored divisions, this disparity is receiv-
ing dramatic emphasis. If dangerous
debasement of achievement standards
throughout the system is to be avoided,
additional teachers must be provided, and
more attention must be given than in the
past to new groupings of pupils on the
basis of educability.
Prevailing conditions in Washington'S
school system are not necessarily perma-
nent. Unless there is candid recognition
now of those conditions, however, they
are very apt to become permanent. We
believe that the school officials and the
Board of Education should place con-
tinued emphasis ON the nature Of the
problem, rather than rest the case for
more teachers on congratulations regard
ing pupil-teacher ratios and the mere
size of classes. Our series of articles, at
any rate, has been prepared with that
purpose in mind.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Not Yet on the Brink

On the basis of what he learned dur
ing his recent visit to the area, Secretary
General Dag Hammarskjold OF the United
Nations has now had some rather calming
things to say about the situation in the
Middle East. He has spoken to leading
Arab and Israeli statesmen, and he has
returned to New York feeling moderately
optimistic AS he sees matters, talk about
a dangerous "arms race" is "a little pre-
mature" and there is no justification for
"panicky reactions" to what has happened
so far-no justification for fearing that
the region is ION the brink of war"
Mr.. Hammarskjold, of course, is not
q Pollyanna He knows that extremely
serious potentialities exist over there, and
he does not expect that everything will
change for the better the day after to-
morrow or the week after next. Yet he
finds it possible not to be peSsim1Stlc;
indeed, he finds it possible even to be
reasonably hopeful. AS he has put 1t, Il
do not see any easy way to so-called
solutions in the absolute sense OF the
word-that is to say, complete settle
ments . But do believe in the posi-
bility of an orderly progress toward solu-
lions, and that is for me enough as a
source of optimism" And he holds to
this view primarily because he is con-
WINGED that the Arab and Israeli leaders
are politically experienced and mature
men who will get together just as soon
as they can persuade themselves and each
other that real negotiations will be fruit
full and mutually beneficial. Meanwhile,
In his judgment, they will not deliberately
seek to precipitate full-scale warfare.
1t may be that Mr.. Hammarskjold
is hopeful and that events will play
havoc with his reassuring words. Still,
compared to the unrestrained pessimism
and alarmist talk of the CaSsandras, his
assessment of the situation seems re-
freshingly level-headed. He recognizes
the existing danger-a danger that may
now be heightened by Jordan'S custer OF
British General Glubb--but he rejects the
idea that it amounts to an imminent
catastrophe His point of view may not
please those who are always disposed to
believe that the worst is going to happen,
but he makes better sense than they do.
Certainly, unless wisdom deserts them,
the Arabs and Israelis will not rush into
actions leading to war and terrible
common disaster.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04

Nearsightedness is an optical
defect which blurs the distant
view. Objects close to the eye
stand out clearly. but those at
a distance are vague and dim.
Fortunately this half vision
can be corrected by consulting
an oculist. Proper glasses bring
into focus the otherwise sha-
dowy far look and annex
reaches and ranges before OBJ
scured, thus opening wide
vistas to one who otherwise
would be a prisoner of the
near. OF course, farsightedhess
is also a distorting handicap.
No one lives in an opulent
world whose vision takes in
the distant but shuts out the
near. 1t is prayer that we
may be In the highest sense
nearsighted breathed in the
lines:
Giue me not scenes more
charming: oiue me eyes
To see the beauty that around
me lies,
To see the charm OF souls, see
~ angels shy
Among the faces OF the
paSsersby.
The Good Book declares "the
eyes of the wise are before
him, the eyes of the foolish
man are at the ends of the
earth" The meaning of that
statement is clear. The eyes of
the wise are on the possible
splendor and potentialities of
the place where he is. The eyes
of the foolish man are always
scanning the horizon for some
signs of a glory he thinks he
has missed at home. Twenty
twenty physical vision means
a harmonious combination of
both the near and the far in
one perfect whole. The same
imperfect sight which may mar
the range of retina discernment
suggests that which can hap
pen to the inner eyes Of the
mind and of the spirit. In
that realm of vision one can
be either near. or farsighted.
We are thinking now particu-
larry of what being nearsighted
means to a life if the glasses
of vicarious sympathy do not
expand the domains of interest
which, to be sure. start with
the near but end with the ut
termost parts of the spinning
globe which is our home.
The proverbial nearsighted
prayer is bless me and my
wife, my son John and his
wife, we four and no more"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
THE GAME OF POLITICS
Some Reflections on the Bio Decision
BY FRANK r. KENT

The political effects Of the
Presidents decision to accept
q second term nomination
were fairly well discussed and
accepted long before he made
it. They are. Of course, clearer
now than when there was the
uncertainty which continued
right UP to the moment he
spoke at his Wednesday press
conference. The first thing
that can be said now is that
the decision obviously Is in
accord with the desires Of .
majority Of the American
people. For months every
poll, every test and every sign
has shown this to be true.
Can Stand on Record
As to the immediate results,
certainly one is to render the
Democratic nomination less
desirable. It reduces the party
opposition to Adlai Stevenson,
increases the tendency to let
him become the convention
choice, the theory being that
there is very little chance Of
anyone beating Mr.. Eisen-
hover In November. There
fore 1t isn't a bad thing to
let the good Adlai take Q
second defeat. thus eliminate
ing him from future consid-
Grafton. OF course. many
things can happen in eight
months. Serious administra-
ton mistakes may be made.
Public sentiment may shift.
But, as things are today. 1t
is indisputable that chances
Of another Republican victory
have been greatly enhanced.
To be sure of that all one
need do is consider what a
pitiable plight the Republican
Party would have been in had
the big decision" been the
other way.
1t then would not have
known what to do nor which
way to turn. AS things are it
not only has its candidate
with his extraordinary popu-
larity, but its platform (Which
will be the Eisenhower record
as well. ALI the Republicans
have to do at their August
convention will be to select the
vice presidential candidate.
Properly. Mr.. Eisenhower has
refrained from any appear
ance of debating his running
mate or usurping any other
convention function. How
ever, few doubt that he pre-
fers Mr.. Nixon to any other
available-or that he will be
named. To be sure. there is
opposition to Mr.. Nixon and
the Democrats have made him
the target in vicious propa-
ganda campaign. But they
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04

Federal Judge Kirkland's appeal to
citizens and organizations for nomina-
tons of prospective Board of Education
members is indicative of the care with
which the District Court exercises its
responsibilities in this extra judicial
field. Judge Kirkland is head OF COM
mittee of three judges assigned to pick
candidates for the three vacancies which
will occur on the board on June 3d. The
actual appointments, under the law, will
be made by the full bench. 1t is reassur-
ing to know that the judges are taking
their task so seriously.
Judge Kirkland said the judges
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Invitation to Moscow

In accepting the Kremlin's invitation
to visit Moscow in May, Premier Mollet
and Foreign Minister Pineau of France
have agreed to carry out the trip that
their predecessors postponed last Oc-
tober after the Russians had voted in
favor of having the United Nations Cen
eral Assembly discuss the question OF
French policy in Algeria. The postpone
ment, in effect, was gesture of resent
ment and protest, but the Assemblys de-
cision has long since been reversed, and
SO there is nothing particularly sensa-
tional about the Mollet-Pineau accept
ance of the Soviet bid.
Yet it is interesting, and perhaps just
a little bit significant, that the Kremlin
has extended this invitation so soon after
It's Communist Party Congress. For one
of the big points stressed at that super
theological meeting was that the Soviet
Union should do everything possible to
improve relations with France and that
the Reds of that country should CO.
operate with the French Socialists in an
effort to form popular front" with
them Mr.. Mollet, of course, is a Social
list, and Russia's collective leadership"
undoubtedly hopes that his and Mr..
Pineau's trip will help to promote such
a front. And to that end Nikita Khrush-
chev and his colleagues may well have
some enticing offers to make to their dis
tinguished callers from Paris.
But the West need not be too dis
turbed by this prospect. After all, Mr..
Mollet and Mr. Pineau are strong anti
Communists who have repeatedly demon
strated their devotion to freedom and to
such vital projects as the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. They will not go
to Moscow as babes in the woods More
over, before they do go there, they will
have had an opportunity to look across
the English Channel and get rather
good view of their prospective hosts dur
ing next months Observation-Disclosures
trip to Britain. That should give them a
tip-off on what to expect during their
stay In Russia. Everything considered,
they are not likely to be hoodwinked.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Investing in the Atom

The latest domestic venture in the
field OF nonmilitary atomic power is to be
launched by the General Electric Com
pany and the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company Their plan calls for project
scheduled for completion next year
that will serve the San Francisco Bay
area with nuclear facilities designed to
have an initial generating capacity Of
5000 kilowattS, and an ultimate capacity
of upwards of 10000 kilowatts.
This undertaking, to be financed en-
tirely by private capital, is relatively
small, but it serves as reminder that
American free enterprise is beginning
even if somewhat gingerly-to invest
seriously in the development of nuclear
power for industrial and other peaceful
uses. In fact, according to the Atomic
Energy Commission, the San Francisco
project brings to total of Is the number
of civilian A-plantS that are now either
under construction, in process of design
or in negotiating status in the United
States.
All Is of these projects (seven Of
them are planned by non-Federal public
groups, including co-operatives) are
slated for completion, some much sooner
than others, between now and 1862. Ac-
cording to the Acc, they will involve a.
total expenditure of over $500 million,
and approximately half of that sum will
come from private industry. Console
dated Edison, for example, has under
taken to build its 14O,oO0-kilowatt atomic
ry;t
governmental financial aid, and the same
holds true for the 1870, 0o0-kilowatt plant
to be constructed by Commonwealth
Edison at Dresser, Illinois.
AS estimated by the AEC-which
seems confident that they will all be in
operation before the close Of 1962-these
IS big and little plants will have COM
bined generating capacity of nearly /
million kilowatts. That will be sub
stantial addition to the Nations produc-
tive energy. and the chances are that
other atomic projects of the same type
will be decided upon and set a-building
in the months and years Immediately
ahead rather remarkable outlook In
view of the fact that our country, blessed
as 1t is with great coal, oil and water re-
sources, has no pressing need at this stage
for industrial nuclear power.
True, Commissioner Murray of the
Acc has testified that the United States
is not doing nearly enough, either at home
or abroad, to speed up the development of
such power. However, although his warn
ing against complacency ought to be
needed, there is reason to question the
practically of the costly Federal crash"
program he has advocated. His commits
sion colleagues, at any rate, seem in
strong disagreement with him. And they
make a persuasive case when they argue
that our country-with Its wide variety
of undertakings, including the is A
plants currently projected-should be
able to keep "well ahead" of Russia and
the rest of the world In Harvesting the
atom for peace.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04

furniture Of the average IN
dividual who has gone through
our American public school
system and is now say between
40 and so years of age has
been described as a mind which
is a museum of snap judg-
ments, picked-up prejudices
and unyerif1able hand-me-
downs. 1t is all right for
little, treble children's voices
to sing. You in your little
corner and I in mine" but for
an adult to take that attitude is
to betray nearsightedness. A
nearsighted patriotism has
often wrought havoc on earth.
AS Nurse Cavell said just be-
fore her mortal life was
snuffed out at that Belgian
dawn. Patriotism is not
enough" 1t needs to be mas
tered by a greater unity be-
fore it ever can be truly great
itself.
In 1860 a man in Maryland
wrote, II am firstly a citizen
of Hartford County. secondly
a citizen of Maryland. and
thirdly a citizen of the United
States" He was revealing
the amazing provincialism of
nearsightedness. One of the
greatest spiritual prophets of
the goth century commented
on that remark, Genuinely
Christian citizenship must al
ways begin at the other
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Good, Clean Fun

My attention has been
called to a new feature in the
comic section Of The Sunday
Star, entitled Romance Of
Flowers"
Permit me to congratulate
you on this iine feature and
your work in pioneering along
these cultural lines for the
comic section of your paper.
This is good, clean, instruc-
tional and inspirational ma
terial, which I am sure will be
deeply appreciated by parents
and children alike. 1t is a
truly refreshing departure, in
view of the excessive and often
questionable comics" devoted
to crime and intrigue.
Rev. James A. Wagner.
The Catholic University Of
America.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Shocking News

A House committee heard
some startling accusations
against the schools here so
years ago. On February %.
1906, The Star reported: Sen
sational charges against the
board of education and against
the administration of the NJ
street high school were pre-
sented to the Morrell Sub
committee of the House Com
mittee of the District of Co
lumbia today by Thomas B.
Leisinripg and DR.. Atwood. -.
Mr.. Leisinring said he repre-
sented the taxpayers of WASH
ington. He charged that
members of the board of edu-
cation, knowing that one OF
the teachers at the M street
high school drank intoxicants
and smoked cigarettes during
school hours, had permitted
him to retain his position. -.
Persons had been appointed
to the M street high school
who had never taught a day.
Mr.. Leisinring said. and on
account of the inefnciency and
ignorance Of these appointees
it had become necessary to
make certain changes in
courses and studies at the high
school. He thought this was
a mere squandering Of money.
Another affidavit pre-
sented by Mr.. Leisinring tend
ed to show that several pupils
had appeared in the class
rooms under the influence of
liquor and had been very leni-
emily dealt with. He claimed
that drinking and cigarette
smoking was going on today
in the NJ street high school
and in other schools around
the city. ="
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
War Threat

The Boxers were acting up
again in China so years ago
and this dispatch from Peking.
China, was printed In The
Star on March 6, 1905: 1.-The
Chinese government is greatly
perturbed by the reports on
anti-foreign comments printed
in the American and Euro
pean press, and particularly by
the dispatches announcing
Americas preparation for a
military expedition in case OF
need. These reports. it is al
legged, tend to embarrass the
foreign ministers and create
strained relations between
them and the officials here.
A long edict reproves the
Chinese students for meddling
with politics and charges the
officials, high and low. to
thoroughly protect the lives
and property of foreigners.
specifying the missions. :"
On the same day, in another
story on the front page. The
Star quoted Representative
Hale in connection with the
Chinese trouble. IS. Mr.. Hale
said that the general staff had
prepared plans for the invasion
of China by an American army,
but he added that he did not
mean to go into that subject
for with the Secretary of State
sitting on the lid, I do not be-
lieve we are likely to have war;
The last statement brought Mr..
Tillman to his feet with the
suggestion that If the Secre-
tary of State is sitting on the
lid and the Secretary of War
is trying to pry him off, it will
60 off, because of the greater
avoirdupois of the head of the
War Dapa rtn1ent
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
On Being Neorsighted
Get the Light in the Cornersv
By REV. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

end from Hartford County. as
a citizen of the Kingdom Of
God on earth" A Christianity
that is not international.
which does not have a clear
global view has never known
its Master who said "the field
is the world" To see only our
own church and to vigorously
defend its peculiar traditions
is oft-times but to exhibit our
little bigotries. A belittling re-
ligion, fenced in by its own
dogmas, is a sign of nearsight-
edness. In the presence OF
abysInal need, demanding a
great religion with reckoning
horizons, calling for a great
religion of comprehensive
faith and devoted social spirit,
we stand-how often-tithing
mint and anise and curnin and
neglect the wider and the
weightier matters Of the law.
What some people call their
opinions in both national and
religious matters is often SIM
ply q Encouragement Of their
prejudices and they carry on
that process behind bolted
mental doors and curtained
windows.
Most MISUNDERSTANDING and
lack Of sympathy with the
attitudes Of other peoples half
a world away grow out of peo-
pie being so enamored with
their own way of life that they
cannot sense how other people
feel and act. Even when many
Americans find themselves in
foreign" countries they Of
fend and ALLEVIATE nationals by
an utter failure to look at life
through other eyes than their
own. They do not know what
it is to really sit where others
sit. They carry their near
Sightedness across the seas
with them. They are obsessed
with the idea that with their
money they can buy friend
ship and gratitude.
The trouble with the young
prophet in the Old Testament
when he saw the heavily armed
encircling army and quaked
with fear was that he was
nearsighted. The old prophet
Elisha furnished him with the
lenses of a vision which re-
vealed for him the greater
forces in a wider circle of the
horses and chariots of the
Lord. The prophets prayer
was "open his eyes that he
may see." Then his near
sighted fear gave way to
paeans of confidence and tri-
umph.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
Sides With Senator

A letter signed, sc. Lewis
Terrell. For the Social Action
Committee. Plymouth Congre-
gational Church." reflects dis
credit upon those whom 1t
claims to represent.
Mr.. Terrell denounces our
Virginia Senator, A. Willis
Robertson. for performing the
function of a true statesman
in introducing 81. Res. 1877.
relative to desegregated versus
separate but equal public
schools. The Senator's action
was not the issuance of a die
tatorial law, nor was it q
usurping judicial invasion Of
legislative functions with a So
called decision" 1t was no
more nor less than the intro
duction of a topic for delibera-
ton by that body of men and
women chosen to perform that
very indispensable kind Of
duty. It is difficult to see how
and in what way the inoffen-
sive Senator from Virginia has
injured Mr.. Terrell or the Plym-
outh Congregational Church.
Will Mr.. Terrell deny that
there is a difference of opin-
ion on this distressing subject?
Will he deny that there is a
concerted drive going on. with
a mounting crescendo, to
make trouble for the South
ern States? Will not his $50
cial action committee" have to
plead guilty to participating
in the fomenting of strife and
rebellion in these United
States? What study has Mr..
Terrell given to this problem;
what experience has he had
with it; what heed is he Civ
ing to the history Of race and
social conflict?
Richard L. Feldman.