davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Attenuation in War

The fantastic story OF how auton1a-
ton is revolutionizing our defenses
against sudden aerial attack has been
disclosed, in part, by officials in charge
of the heretofore ultrasecret electronic
project, SAGE. The name was well
chosen. While it was formed from the
initials for "semiautomatic ground en-
vironment," the word means eminent In
wisdom" Reporters who witnessed a
demonstration Of the remarkable airplane
detection and counteraction system at
the Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Mas
sachusetts, were impressed by its eerie
omniscience.
SAGE is complex electronic brain
capable, its creators assert, not only OF
supplying instantly accurate details as to
the strength, nature, direction speed and
altitude of an approaching enemy air
fleet, but of organizing and directing our
counterattack. The brain" can imme-
diately distinguish friend from foe-a
problem that proved extremely difficult
In World War II. It's warning as to num-
bers and tactics of an invading air squad
ron is transmitted to human controller
(hence the "semiautomatic" part of its
name). 1t also transmits to him COM
plete picture Of all our interceptor planes
and missiles available in the threatened
area. BY pushing button, the human
director then can put In motion con-
centrated interception strike, with the
automation device actually steering the
piloted planes and unpiloted missiles to
the correct point of interception. Pilots
of the planes "just 60 along for the ride"
but are available to act in case of an
electronic failure. Also, they may launch
the air. to-air missiles against enemy air
craft If they choose. Otherwise SAGE
will do the firing for them.
This, then, Is the amazing result Of
five years of intensive research and de-
velopment under the So-called Lincoln
Project, billion-dol Joint enterprise
of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology, other colleges, private industry
and the Defense Department. Production
of the components Of the system already
has begun on an expedited basis. When
the new defense machinery is operating,
the Nations security against attacks by
air will be raised to 80 per cent level,
according to those who have developed
the system. That is, they say, it should
be possible to knock down 80 per cent
of invading aircraft-as compared with
the 80 per cent hoped for with existing
facilities. Even If the estimates of SAGE's
efficiency should prove to be bit exag-
gerated, 1t appears that highly signifi-
cant defense STEP has been taken.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Stronger Defense

AS The Star recently re-
ported, Senator Jackson Of
Washington is alarmed about
Soviet advances in the develop
ment of guided missiles
Senator jackson has every
reason to be concerned. While
our top military leaders tell
us every day that this Nation
is powerful enough to prevent
war. the Soviet Union is surg
ing farther and farther ahead
of us in building up its armed
forces.
The Communist bloc out
numbers the free world as far
as military manpower is con-
cerned by about fifty to one.
Yet this is not nearly as alarm
ing as the fact that the Com
munists are also far ahead OF
us in chronological respects.
I think IT is about time the
American people realized that
we are not much more pre-
pared for war now than we
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
The Crowded Air

I was amazed to learn from
your January Is article. MA
ior Safety Peril Seen as Air
Facilities Lag" that the air
traffic control system has fallen
SO far behind other aviation
facilities.
1t was staggering to read
that due to critical airspace
congestion" collisions In
volving airlines are reported
daily.
Because OF the present trend
toward air travel, 1t would most
assuredly seem that utmost
precautions would be practiced
to prevent even near" TRACE
dies.
If the airways are danger
ously congested today what
can the air-traveler expect 20
years from now. when per-
haps 100000 aircraft may be
flying 1000 miles an hour at
10000 feet or higher?
1t would seem imperative
that something be done to in
crease the capabilities of out
NODDED air-traffic control facil-
ittes-and be done quickly.
Sara Jane Miller.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

such agencies as Church World
Services. Lutheran World Re
lief. American Friends Service
Committee. Catholic Relief
Services, American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee,
the CARE. Previous to Sec
rotary Benson's release of
these surplus grains on De-
cember IA. the agencies were
given only products which
were spelling in storage-dried
milk, butter. cheese. and some
cottonseed oil.
@. How much water do
house plants need?-D. P. F..
A. This depends on the
kind Of plant, the amount of
foliage, the type of soil, how
well the plant is rooted, the
temperature. the dryness of
the air. AS a rule, let the soil
become almost dry, then soak
1t thoroughly. Do not water
again until 1t again becomes
dry, which may be in a day or
a week. Plants will not live
in constantly saturated soil.
@. Are any of the new drugs
of help in lockjaw cases?-
G. M. r.
A. Chlorpromazine, which is
now being widely used to calm
mental patients. has been
found to relieve the spasms Of
Jaws, neck and abdomen in
lockjaw. 1t also relaxes the
tension characteristic of the
disease. Tetanus antltoxin Is.
of course. necessary to fight
the tetanus germs. Z
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Quotes Wilson

The value to the Nation of
providing a check against the
unconstitutional usurpation Of
power by the Supreme Court,
perhaps by the method of in
terposition now being dis
cussed by some Of the States.
is shown by the following quo
tation from a lecture by
Woodrow Wilson entitled "The
States and the Federal Gov
ernment." The lecture was de-
livered at Columbia University
In 1907. when Wilson was
president Of Princeton He
said:
Moral and social questions
originally left to the several
States for settlement can be
drawn into the field of Fed
eral authority only at the ex-
pense Of the self-dependei,ce
and efficiency Of the several
communities of which our
complex body polite is made
up. Paternal morals. morals
enforced by the judgment and
choices Of the central author
ity at Washington. do not and
cannot create vital habits or
methods Of life unless sus-
tanned by local opinion and
purpose. local prejudice and
convenience-unless supported
by local convenience and in
'terest; and only communities
capable of taking care of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Sky Scenes.

Abooe the rim OF the noun
tainS
Where Snow peaks touch the
sky,
The last bright Ndre OF dying
day
Sends beams OF rose on high
Like ribbons spread across the
blue
OF twilight'S misty haze,
A panorama etched dboUe
The slot0ly frightening days.
The hand OF beauty paints the
sky
With pictures eper new,
From daiDn's first sudden
fame OF gold
Until the moon breaks
through.
And stdr-bodts sail among the
clouds
Throughout the shddo,Ded
night.
And drift across the Milky
Way
With ttDinkling, dancing
light.
Catherine {. Berry
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
WSTAS IN SCIENCE
By THOMAS R. HENRY
Why 1t Pours When 1t Rains

has passed over hundreds Of
miles Of sea surface contains
many such particles per cubic
inch from the surface up to
the bases Of the clouds.
"Other natural phenomena
which produce a great number
of small bubbles in sea water,
and hence add to the salt par
ticle population of the air.
are melting snow, sleet and
hail and impinging raindrops.
Individual snowflake clusters
release as many as 500 bub-
bles as they melt on the sur
face waters Of the sea. Most
are of microscopic size"
Nucleus for Raindrops
For the past five years. DR..
Woodcock says, evidence has
been accommodating that each
large salt particle becomes the
nucleus upon which raindrops
form in marine air. The i'm
plication of this evidence is
that the natural transforming
process is one which simply
adds relatively salt-free water
to the salt nuclei. The par
ticular implications, not yet
clear, are in the field Of arti-
fetal rain making.
The salt particles In the sea
air, he says, may have several
other implications. For exam
pie. when droplets are injected
into the air from the bursting
bubbles they commonly carry
a strong positive electrical
charge. Preliminary studies
indicate that the flow Of cleo
trical current due to the
transfer of charged droplets
from the sea surface to the
atmosphere may contribute
largely to the electrical ex-
change between earth and
atmosphere.
Exposure of a structural
steel plate revealed that salt
bearing winds caused a rapid
deposition Of sea salts on the
surface. It is known that
these are highly corrosive.
Thus sea winds, even far in
land, may be an important
factor in the rusting of metals.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

mother. can be fooled this way.
what about us?
Our silly hearts are going to
rejoice when it begins to really
get warm again. and an itch
comes into the hands for the
feel Of rake and hoe and even
motor mower.
There is nothing to 1t,
friends, but to rejoice in the
spring. when it comes.
Then the new little leaves,
filled with the true spirit, will
put on their best dresses. They
will go for long walks around
the square. keeping quiet eyes
open for handsome boys in
their best new suits.
To watch them, tomatoes
and all. you would never dream
that we are on the brink of
eAGeflItlIldttOI.<
That is the wonder of spring.
time.
Then, as Ovid and that
other great pagan, Lucretius,
said. something flowers eter-
nal. The mist comes up over
the hills, and the little new
lambs bleat in the meadows.
How one longs for a lambl
The catalogs do not say any,
thing about lambs, but surely
some one of them ought to Of
fer at least one lamb, a little
teeney one. to the jealous soul
eager for tomorrow.
Turn on the raindrops, then,
dear nature, and let us have it.
Let water drip. and green
come to the surface.
The days will grow longer,
and the politicians will irk us
once more with their daylight
saving time: but this time we
will breathe no protest. Thou
hast won, o politician!
The misery and woe politics
has spawned on the world is
getting worse and worse, and
no man stands to say it nay.
No man, because every man is
being taxed to death.
In his last gasp. before the
assembled tax collectors take
him to pieces. let him rejoice
In the spring, and be good to
himself with seed catalogs and
grass seed and tulips and mar
cissus, and gladiolus, and iris.
and simple geranium, and
bleeding heart.
Let him be Of good cheer.
for then spring will be here.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

Minute salt particles in the
upper atmosphere may be q
major cause Of rain.
Air blown over land from
the sea commonly contains
from 10 to 100 such particles
per cubic inch. Salt is one Of
the most effective attractors
Of moisture.
This hypothesis is advanced
by DR.. A. H. Woodcock Of
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute to the once of Naval
Research, which has sponsored
his investigations.
"As everyone knows" DR..
Woodcock says, table salt
crystals tend to become wet
when the weather is humid.
In fact, at a relative humidity
Of 80 per cent a single small
crystal when left exposed for
q Sufiicient time collects
enough water from the air to
dissolve completely and form
a droplet."
Salt Suspended In Air
Now. he points out, the air
over the sea and. to some ex-
tent over the land, is full of
such bits of salt. On a clear
night the beam Of a iashlight
reveals minute, dust-like par
ticles suspended in the air.
Many Of them are sea salt
residue from very small water
droplets that are injected into
the air from bursting bubbles
near the sea surface.
Breaking waves caused by
winds on the open sea-" he
says, force much air be-
meath the sea surface in the
form Of small bubbles. These
range In size from less than
l.000th Of an inch to about
a 10th inch in diameter. Many
Of the small droplets so pro-
duced remain air-borne, the
water evaporating and leaving
a minute crystalline residue.
Thus winds passing over the
sea often acquire a burden of
salt dust simultaneously with
the addition Of water vapor.
Well-mixed marine air which
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
No Sdnctuory?

Why q parkway on the
canal side Of the Potomac?
Would 1t be unthinkable to
leave any place which people
might reach through public
transportation and then stroll
or boat or paint or bird
watch in peace and quiet?
With all the scenic park
ways we already have, 1t
would seem that at least In one
instance the needs Of those
desiring a place to enjoy
themselves free from the in
cessant rumbling of wheels
and honking Of horns could be
met.
Once the parkway is made,
the opportunity to preserve
the quiet atmosphere which
characteriZes this unique
feature of the Washington
area Is lost. Why subtract
from our assets?
B, A. G,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

This association wishes to
express its thanks for The Star
editorial, January IS, entitled
Keep Them Of the Park
way" 1t was well written and
timely.
Please keep up the good
work. The public should al
ways be informed and en-
lightened about matters Of
such Importance.
We agree wholeheartedly
that trucks must not be al
lowed on the Baltimore-Wash-
ington parkway.
Richard E. Barton, ST.,
President, Parkway Estates
Citizens Association.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Answering Peipinq

The Chinese Communists now have
received a relatively polite but firm
American answer to the propaganda they
put out last week in an effort to miSrep-
resent what has been happening at the
Geneva ambassadorial talks between
them and u.s. In effect, as set forth by
the State Department, the answer makes
clear that the talks will continue to get
nowhere as long as Red China fails to live
up to its obligations and refuses to
renounce the use of force in connection
with its vow to "liberate" Formosa.
AS presented to the world on January
Is, Peipings version of the situation may
be summarized as follows: ~ The Mao
Tze-tung regime has been faithfully car
rying out its commitment to permit
American civilians in China to return
"expeditiously" to the United States.
(2) BY way of contrast, the great ma
jority" of the Items of thousands" of
Chinese citizens in our country have been
denied the right of repatriation. (3)
Although in general it favors renouncing
the use Of force, Peiping has sovereign
right to liberate" FormoSa-which is ille-
it sees At, the issue being domestic"
one. And a. Washington should forth
with agree to negotiations between Sec
rotary of State Dulles and Foreign
Minister Chou En-lai to bring about our
withdrawal from the Formosan area, an
end to the trade embargo against Red
China and other measures aimed at
eliminating war-breeding tensions in
Asia.
However, with what might be called
massive understatement, our State De-
partment has described all this as mis-
leading" In the first place, leaving aside
hundreds of other cases that remain to
be cleared up, Peiping has reneged on its
repatriation agreement by continuing to
detain no fewer than IS American civil
ianS. In the second place, every Chinese
citizen in our country-aS the Indian
Embassy can testify-iS completely at
liberty to return to his homeland. Fur
Their, FormoSa-what has never been
part Of Communist China and which is
definitely an international problems
not occupied by our troops, but we are in
a solemn defensive alliance with the gov
eminent there and we have numerous
other obligations and rights in the gen.
eral area. Finally, since the United
States is ready and willing to renounce
any resort to force in that region. why
should Red China hesitate to do the same
especially when such renuncia-
ton would not prejudice efforts it might
make to get what it wants through
peaceful means?
AS the State Department says, the
Chinese Communists apparent answer to
this is that they are willing to renounce
force only If they are first conceded the
goals for which they would use force"
So be it. II that is really their view, they
can be sure that they are wasting their
breath when they ask for such things as
a Dulles Chou meeting and an end to the
trade embargo They can be sure, too,
that they will have to run over" our
Seventh Fleet If they try to "liberate"
Formosa with military measures. They
had better not misjudge our American
temper on that score.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES {. TRACEWELL

1t won't be long now till
spring.
That's q nice truth to keep
in mind, no matter what the
present weather.
The seed catalogs have be-
gun to come in.
These harbingers of the
green season tell us not to give
up hope. not to keep thinking
back to that sleety January,
but to look forward to the first
crocus.
Positive thinking
That's what we need. and
what the flower catalogs give
us in good measure.
OF course. nobody's toma-
toes are ever going to be quite
as red. nor win their dolphin
ium. in all likelihood, be as
blue. But what difference does
that make?
The loneliness of color is
partly in everybody's mind
II we listen to the cold sci
entists. there is nothing much
to anything as we see it.
Modern physics, we are told,
has changed all that.
The world and its universe,
it seems, are not what we
think, and never have been.
Not at all.
When the first big bomb that
made history went of, it did
more than blow holes in
Hiroshima. 1t blew something
bad out of mans mind. and
unfortunately left little to
replace it.
Despite all that, the first
crocus is going to look pretty
good.
And that first tomato
People will be pottering
around in back yards, the same
as usual. despite the fact that
physics says there is nothing
to it.
There will be raking, and
moving. and the farmers will
be worrying about a soil bank,
as II they didn't have enough
to worry over already.
Every place you go, in a few
weeks. will be loaded down
with buds, such buds, soft and
silky, right out of the heart Of
nature which churlishly won't
seem to give a whoop about the
dire predictions of the SCI
entistS.
If nature, the universal
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Rejects Arlington

Seeking to smoothe ruff1ed
feathers in the General Assem-
bly, Because Arlington County
had moved toward indignation,
Arlington Delegate Kathryn
Stone was quoted in The Star
of January II as saying some
critics had stated facetiously
that her 10th Virginia district
should be given back to the
Indians, or the District OF
Columbia" I am a ChocGaw,
employed at Fort Belvoir, and
refuse to accept my portion
OF any such giveaway. .
John c. wilkins. q,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

plant will be distributed in Maryland.
II there should come time when there
is a demand for PEPCO power on the
Virginia side, the Loudoun site, still held
by the company, would be available.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
were by comparative degrees

were by comparative degrees
in 1941.
/ believe the American peo-
pie must be faced with a
choice: Unless we are willing
to pay even more taxes toward
national defense. this Nation
could come out second best in
an atomic war. War is no
longer something that hap
pens only to the "other guy"
1t will eventually happen here
unless our defenses are boil
stored to such a degree that
the United States becomes far
more nearly impregnable.
Robert r. Dorr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDriters' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to condeH-
sdtion.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

@. When was the Rose Bowl
football game played on the
East Coast instead of the
West?-L. o. S.
A. On New Years Day, 1912,
the Rose Bowl game was
played at Duke Stadium, Dur
ham, N. c., by teams repre-
senting Oregon State College
and Duke University. Oregon
won, 20-16. The game, origi-
nally scheduled for the Tour
nament Of Roses at Pasadena,
Calf, was played in the East
because Of the Government
ban on large West Coast
gatherings following our entry
into World War II in Deem
Der, 194l.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
Soft Pedal Speed

entertained many thousands.
1t has also aroused envy and
intense longing. Only a sub-par
credit rating prevented some
of us from mortgaging our
souls to possess one Of the dis
played creations.
But we can look, and that
we did. We saw SO models and
models of the future. We saw
bewildering color combinations
with chrome trim fore and aft.
We saw luxurious interiors and
thousands of push buttons. We
saw dynamic. high-rumped
styling and overlarge. dazzling
rear lights. Under the hood we
glimpsed 200 to $40 horse
power.
Our ears were also open and
we heard paeans of praise
about strato-streak power.
aerodynamic styling. brilliant
new getaway even at part
throttle. push-button driving
and finger-tip control. interior
richness and luxury, the look
of-tomorrow. and finally. enor-
nous new power tanned to
obey every command.
And during the auto extrava-
ganza we read your story about
the boy who piloted one Of
these modern dream boats
down the open road at some
100 miles per hour. Let's quote
a few sentences: "X-rays
showed the victim suffered
multiple skull fractures, frac-
lures Of both legs. a broken
arm. at least six broken ribs
and a jaw fracture. q possible
fracture Of the back. severe
brain conclusion. injuries to all
internal organs and many cuts
and bruises. The patient has
undergone skull surgery. with
holes drilled in the bone to
relieve bloodclot pressure. II
he does survive he faces a long
series of operations"
This is not pleasant reading.
None Of US anticipate any
thing more than a broken arm
or two and a skirmish with the
police It's reasonable to as
sumo we can achieve this OBJ
jective just as readily with 90
horsepower with or without
finger-tip controll as with
$40, Maybe we are being over
sold on the merits Of high
power, luxury and aerodyna-
mical performance on the
highway.
Although we cannot turn
the clock back, 1t is possible
that, If the automotive industry
introduced a little sanity into
design. publicity and sales
manship. it would help to
lower the frightful highway
toll.
Angus Sinclair.
AZ **
Why not protect, to some
extent at least, fool drivers
from killing and manning
themselves and others? We
allow automobile manufac-
turers to make and advertise
more powerful cars with more
horsepower and more speed,
thereby putting a more
dangerous weapon in the hands
OF drivers, both responsible and
irresponsible.
Why not emphasize safety
instead of power and speed?
Auto manufacturers would cry
bloody murder If speed gov
errors were mandatory. But
human lives are worth more
than their cries. The time may
come when Congress will have
to act to restrain them and
curb their rights to make even
more dangerous cars.
Edward M. Dawson.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

to any factua question By vrit,n,
lose cents for return postage
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-23

@. What proportion of the
automobile tires now being
sold are tubeless?-F.V.M.
A. About go to IS per cent
tire sales in 1865 were of the
tubeless types, as compared
with 10 per cent of the market
two years ago. All 1855 model
cars came out with them as
original equipment. One man
ufacturer predicts that within
three years practically all pas
senger car tires will be the
tubeleSS kind.
@. How many church and
private welfare agencies will
distribute United States sur
plus wheat and corn to needy
persons here and overseas
N. A. A.
A. Twenty-five-inclu d in I
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-24

WANTED. CANOE-Aluminum in
good condition; reasonable price.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-24
TRAILERs Cont

25-FT. HOUSE TRAILER: S450; ex-
csllent condition. RIA. 3-4169 or