davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1956-12-21
Open Letter to Santa

Dear Santa Claus:
! am writing to you for the
first time in my 50-odd years
because, Santa. I want you to
bring something to everyone
in the whole wide world this
year at Christmas time.
guess that this is the first time
that I have ever really wanted
something worthwhile from
you.
Santa, I am unhappy and
sad when I think of the 100,-
900 persons-8,300 of them
under 5 years of age-who
won't be with us this year
because of carelessness or
thoughtlesSness on the part of
themselves or others. There
will be vacant chairs for them
at the Christmas table and
tears in the eyes Of their fam
lilies when prayers are said.
Yes, Santa, there are a lot
Of persons won't be receiving
gifts from you this year whose
absence will be listed under
the heading Accidentally
Killed" They're gone. Santa,
and could so easily have been
here to join in the spirit of
Christmas had someone
chosen to show just a little bit
more courtesy, a little bit more
caution, or a little bit more
care.
Santa. would it be too much
trouble for you to bring every
one this year just a little cake,
one that will be delicious, cas-
lily digested, and will leave a
taste of contentment, happi-
ness and satisfaction on their
tongues. Santa, this cake must
contain certain ingredients,
and so I find it necessary to
send you this recipe: Into
life's mixing bowl place one
heaping cup of carefulness, one
heaping cup of daily caution,
one heaping cup of driving
courtesy, one heaping cup of
love for fellow man, one heap
ing cup of the will to look out
for ourselves and others, one
heaping cup of thoughtfulness.
Add one full quart of the
nectar of desire for ourselves
and others to live. Season to
taste with the desire to act
safely at all times. Bake in
an oven heated with family
and brotherly love. Add FROST
ing from the happiness Of
sparing a life. Wrap in the
bond Of true sportsmanship
toward living and let live.
And then please, Santa.
give one to every bloomin'
soul alive. Merry Christmas,
Santa. and safe living.
r. L. May.
Ground Safety Director,
Andrews Air Force Base.
Evening star., 1956-12-21
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Taking a Closer Look at the Sun
By THOMAS R. HENRY

this can be considered brighter
than the center itself.
"The sun at las centimeters
appears larger than the optical
sum-" reports the Derwood
group which is headed by DR..
H. w. Wells. "It is elliptical
rather than circular"
With greater solar activity
now expected. they point out,
study Of objects in the heav-
ems emitting radio waves will
become more difficult because
the effect is that of pulling a
curtain across an ''ionospheric
window" Of which they have
been able to take advantage.
The ionosphere is the success
sion Of electrified layers at the
extreme top Of the atmosphere
from which radio waves orig
mating on earth are reflected
back. This makes radio broad
casting to distances beyond the
horizon possible. The iono-
sphere also stops incoming
waves.
Conditions Changing
One small part Of the radio
spectrum, however, has quite
regularly gotten through. Con-
ditionS are changing because
the ionosphere is created by
conditions on the sun.
The great difficulty is expe-
rienced at low frequencies.
especially valuable for detec-
ton and location Of distant
objects. the so-called radio
stars"
1T already is apparent"
says the report. that it may
not be possible to repeat OBJ
servationS in the IL to is meg
acycle range as a result Of the
new solar cycle. The effect of
increased solar activity has
been very apparent during the
past few months. At present
we have a few hours per night
of useful recording through
the ionospheric window at 1875
me. Attempts to observe at
15.5 me have been entirely
fruitless. even in the pre-sun-
rise hours when the ion
ospheric window would be
open."
What is meant by an ion-
ospheric window should be ex-
planned" they add. Although
signals from radio stars rea-
sonably close to the zenith
would penetrate through the
ionosphere, the only condition
under which 1t is possible for
us to observe these radio
sources is in the absence OF
interfering signals reflected
from terrestrial sources by the
ionosphere."
This, they point out, i'm
poses a severe restriction on
the radio waves which can be
observed
Evening star., 1956-12-21

lessons in keeping poker face.
BY steadfastly looking
straight ahead, the boys often
fooled the honest minded con-
ductor, who thought such
poise indicated they had paid
and he had forgotten it.
If. however, the man In blue
directly confronted a boy, and
demanded: Have you paid?"
no honest lad said he had. He
said nothing. He just handed
over the fare, which had lain
concealed in his hand all the
time.
One would have thought
that every conductor would
have gotten onto the little
trick, but 1t was truly a simple
minded day. People did not
expect cheating. 1t is diff
flcult to remember. 1t seemed
a better and a cleaner era,
and maybe It was.
Certainly the air one
breathed was purer.
No great gangs Of motor We
hicles, minute after minute and
hour after hour, vitiated the
air with the fumes Of exhaust.
There is no telling today,
things have changed so, but
the air one breathed then
seemed to have ozone in 1t, as
people said.
Who hears anything more
about ozone? II anyone mem
toned it, teenagers probably
would ask. Whats that. a new
cigaret?"
The walking city OF the old
days has disappeared. Halt
and stop at every block make
walking a nuisance, and the
plain danger is there, too.
Part Of this lies in the human
spirit. II is not exactly Ameri-
lean, in q sense. to be halted
all the time. We are a going
ahead people, and this partly
accounts for so many people
getting run over.
Even though we live in the
motor age, our minds are still
in the walking city and world
Of 1900. Many Of us can't ex-
actly get used TO IL. We have
to remind ourselves at every
block TO stop. look and listen.
We look TO the right--and for
get about the left. 10 will take
a lifetime 10 educate some of
US. and then II win be too late.
Templeton Jones was walk
ing down the middle Of the
street out his way, when a
small miss Of perhaps five
summers lectured him from
the sidewalk.
you are not supposed. she
said. TO walk in the street"
It was q triumph OF sweet
reasonableness. and jones
could say nothing but make a
humble admission that she
was right.
Evening star., 1956-12-21
The sun isn't shaped like an

The sun isn't shaped ike an
orange but like q lemon.
Its disk Is elliptical and not
round as it seems to the naked
eye. The brightest part is not
the center but q ring around
the center.
Such, at least. is the way it
looks to radio astronomers Of
the Carnegie Institution of
Washington who are looking"
at the earth's star with q ra-
dio eye at q Department Of
Terrestrial Magnetism Station
near Washington. They. are
scanning its surface with q
radio "bowl" adjusted to re-
ceiving radio waves las cent?
meters long.
The picture Is quite differ
ent from that obtained with
visible light, according to their
annual report. They do not,
OF course, actually see the sun
but plot the strength Of the
signals they get. The long ra-
dio waves can be considered as
a sort Of invisible light.
The new picture, however,
is what might be expected
from theoretical considera-
tions, according to the astron-
omers at the Derwood (Md.)
station.
Quiet for Two Years
Observations Of the sun at
shorter radio wave-lengths,
they point out. do not show
conditions on the actual sur
face Of the star but only in
the corona, the enormously
hot and extremely tenuous
pearl-colored ring around the
disk which appears to the
naked eye only at times Of
total eclipse. Radiation orig
mating on the suns surface
cannot escape through the
chromosphere, or atmosphere
below the corona.
During the past two years,
the Derwood a astronom e r S
point out. the face of the sun
has been extremely quiet.
There have been few of the
supposedly vast atmospheric
whirlwinds, the sunspots. They
have taken advantage Of this
to scan the disk of the star
strip by strip from edge to
edge. Further work along this
line at present will be quite
difficult, for the sun now is
entering a quite active period.
The strength of radio sig
mails varies with different To-
cations from which they are
received. The points from
which they are strongest are
called bright spots," although
they might not appear so if
they could be discerned with
visible light. Thus, since the
strongest signals come from a
ring surrounding the center,
Evening star., 1956-12-21

ment the best students in the
area. These schools would be
stated by a faculty composed
of those teachers who are re-
garded as masters of their own
particular discipline. Further,
in the instance of the Junior
high and high schools the
courses of instruction would be
confined to those areas which
might be regarded as classic.
Under such conditions, the
gifted students would reap the
fruits which ought to be theirs.
1t would do much to revive the
belief that intellectual accom-
plishment is one to be admired
rather than to be scorned-a
belief that seems to have been
obScured in the shuttle be-
tween ElviS, hot-rods, rock N
roll and baSket-weaving.
Theodore Perros.
Evening star., 1956-12-21
Metered Cabs

From what source and why
is all this pressure for sup
planting our taxi zone system
with metered cabs? I have
yet to hear one good reason
why metered cabs would be
an Improvement.
What would be the result
OF such a change? In the first
place, and most Importantly.
1t would mean increased fares.
Any statement that in some
cases tests showed lower fares
is completely misleading as
not being representative, and
simply tends to lull the public
into not realizing Just what
the change would mean fare
wise.
Higher fares will immedi-
ately result in q sharp decrease
in cab patronage. which in
turn will just as swiftly result
in a decrease in the number
OF cabs. which state is not in
the public interest. Washing
ton has the swiftest, most ef-
ficient and least expensive cab
system in any city I have ever
visited, and increased fares
and fewer cabs is the quickest
way to destroy the fine taxi
cab service the Nations Capital
has long been proud of. And, II
we don't think that bringing in
a meter system will result In
this. we are fooling ourselves.
OF course the transit sys-
tenn and meter manufacturers
are all in favor Of the change,
but let's decide this thing with
the interests Of John @. Public
foremost.
Robert d. OgIesby.
Evening star., 1956-12-21
Visit by Tho3

The report OF q prospective
visit to this country by Tito,
Communist dictator OF Yugo-
slayia. Is alarming.
Our Governments COM
mendable efforts 70 help the
Hungarian victims Of Com
nunist oppression will appear
70 be q sham II the same Gov
eminent extends ofiicial eour-
tesy 10 this notorious commu-
mist tyrant.
The American people have
as much need Of Tito's CON-
pany now ~ We had for . visit
from Hitler IS years ago.
John n. MeManus.
Evening star., 1956-12-21

q. Which State has the
greatest number Of school
districts7--N. s.
A. For the school year 1856
81. Nebraska leads the list.
with 1891 school districts.
q. What IL the racial origin
OF the present-day English
language?-J. D.
A. OF the 10000 words be-
lieyed most In use today, some
1000 are Of AngIo-SaxOn
origin and 1900 are from the
Evening star., 1956-12-21

Latin, Greek, and French. The
words most commonly used are
chiefly Of Angio-Saxon and
French origin; literary and
professional words are mostly
Of Latin and Greek origin.
There u no strict dividing line,
a. many French words we're
originally developed from
Latin, which earlier had taken
them from the Greek. About
$50 Latin words were added %
Old English by missionaries
and traders before the Nor
man Conquest.
Evening star., 1956-12-21
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names m1v be used u
letters carry iDriterS' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to conden-
SGtton.
Evening star., 1956-12-21

be weighed not only in the Middle East
capitals-but also in Moscow, London
and Paris.
Evening star., 1956-12-21
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
b. THE HAsKIN SER

By TIE HABkIN SERVICE
ne E',sns ssI lnmsae1 ZOO @. 81
Evening star., 1956-08-18
Something to Run On

Political platforms are used more
often to run on than to stand on. Thus
1t is not surprising that the Democratic
plankS dealing with numerous aspects OF
the domestic economy are marked by a
magniflcence of promise calculated to
appeal to virtually every segment Of the
voting population. It is likely that the
comparable Republican campaign docu-
ment will be similarly Star-studded, even
though different paths may be charted
for reaching the pie in the sky.
Still looking hopefully at an area of
the country where they have expressed
confidence of making deep inroads on
Republican popularity in 1852, the Demo-
Gratis made one of their strongest bids
for the So-called farm vote. It was, at
least, strong in its denunciation of q. O.P.
policies and bright in its coloring of pros
poets under Democratic administration.
In substance, however, it was blueprint
for turning back the clock to rely on the
various palliatives that proved in the
past SO damaging to the farm economy
itself. Foremost was the proposal to
restore the rigid 90 per cent of parity
price support formula under which bill
lions of dollars worth Of price ce-depressing
SurpluSeS were accumulated. BY impli-
cation, these Surpluses and new ones that
might build up under such a program
were blessed by pledge to maintain
adequate reserves of agricultural COM
modities strategically located, for ma
tional security purposes" Greater mar
kets, foreign and domestic, were assured
although it was not made quite clear
how they were to be attained.
On the broader question of prosperity
for everybody, the Democratic plank was
written around the recently publicized
theme that the economic boom of the
past three years is all a mirage and that
Republican policies have crippled and
stunted" the Nations economic growth.
BY reducing taxes, working to eliminate
poverty and raising the average standard
of living, the Democratic plank proposes
to reach the $500-billion national econ-
omy-already forecast by President Ell
senhower-in what it calls real terms"
To labor, it promises repeal of the Taft
Hartley Act-even though there was no
noticeable effort in this direction, or even
loud demand by labor, during the life
of the Democratic 84th Congress-
1t is, of course, reassuring to the
country that all of this is designed to
guarantee to every citizen IAN opportu-
nifty for full healthy and happy life."
One hardly could ask more of either
party.
Evening star., 1956-08-18
Posing Of the Hoptood

A reader recently asked your
paper: Where have the hop
toads gone? Haven't seen one
in many years."
l decided to see what / could
find out about hoptoads. so on
my vacation did some investi-
eating. About rs years ago
we used to build toad houses
under the cucumber vines, put
a toad in and he would live
there all summer and keep
down all the insects; but now
his diet is poisoned with DDT.
! asked hundreds of people
this summer. and by this
method located one toad in the
D. c. and found one person
at Rock Point. Md, who had
seen some. Boys up to 20 years
old had never seen one. /
asked farmers, truck garden
ers and one man who worked
for the gas company laying gas
lines but got the same story
mo toadsl"
A real hoptoad is almost as
large as ones fist and would
weigh about a pound, If chest
nut trees can disappear, so
can toads. Are we upsetting
natures balance with our
insecticides?
Perry Cleveland.
Evening star., 1956-08-18
War on BottIenecks

The new Federal-aid- highways
windfall could not have come at better
time, as far as Washington is concerned.
More than $50 million in Federal funds
will be available for highways and bridges
here within the next three years About
$31 million of this will be drawn from the
interstate highway appropriations au-
thorized by the Federal aid legislation re-
Gently passed by Congress, with the Dis
trict required to put up about $4.5 million
additional The remainder of the Federal
money will come from other highway
programs previously approved by Con-
gress, with the District matching the
contribution on a $3.50 basis. All in all,
counting grants and loans from various
sources, some $108 million will be on hand
for traffic relief in the immediate future.
The war on bottlenecks thus is ready to
be stepped up with renewed aggressive
ness
With this heavy investment, the Dis
trict should be able to make good head
way in its heretofore slow drive to catch
up with the demands of growing traflc
loads The city fell far behind schedule
during World War II, because Of short
ages of money, manpower and materials.
Meanwhile wartime expansion of Gov
eminent activities tended to aggravate
already bad traffic conditions here. Since
the war the task of overcoming the lag
in highway building has become increas-
ingly difficult. Against this background
the impending release Of unexpected
additional Federal aid is veritably breath
taking to the highway planners and
builders.
A revision Of the whole highway pro-
gram has become necessary. Some Dis
trict money which had been earmarked
to match Federal funds on sections Of the
interstate system in the District can now
be diverted to other primary and second
ary road Improvements. The District,
under the new Federal act, need pay out
only 81 for each contribution Of 50 from
the Federal fund. The District highway
money therefore can be spread much
farther than was possible in the past.
SO It Is apparent that the Federal dollars
viii benent not only the interstate road
Evening star., 1956-08-18
Truman and Stevenson

Stevenson supporters at Chi
cago who were disappointed
and resentful" following for
mer President Truman's an
nounced support for Gov. Har-
rinan. have short memories.
Four years ago they had Mr..
Truman's active support; in
fact, it was Harry Truman
himself who put the finger on
the then relatively unknown
Adlai Stevenson. Not only did
Mr.. Truman name Stevenson
then as a logical and powerful
choice for the Democratic
nomination. he gave aid and
strength throughout the cam
paign.
Then some Stevenson back
ers got hold of the idea that
having President Truman as a
supporter was detrimental to
the cause Of their candidate;
he was being injured by "hav-
ing Truman round his neck. :"
Mr.. Stevenson was urged to
sidestep this influence, which
he did with his usual finesse
and eclat. He lost the election.
Now the tables are turned;
far from scorning the Tru-
man backing, it was longed
for and openly sought after
and courted.s Can they wonder
at Mr.. Truman's announce
ment?
Evening star., 1956-08-18
Kefouver Makes It

There was tendency to feel little
sorry for Estes Kefauver at one point
yesterday afternoon. 1t looked as though
the Democrats most tireless campaigner
was going to be left at the church once
again. And then something came un-
glued in .Chicago'S convention hall.
What had all the earmarks of stop
Kefauver movement, engineered by the
party's old pros and the talented Lyndon
Johnson, was shifting into. high gear.
New York threw 9412 votes to Senator
John Kennedy. Senator Johnson tossed in
56 more from Texas The Kennedy total
scared to 648, and it looked as though it
was all over. But then came the shocker.
Tennessee's Senator Gore, who had
seemed to be the pivot of Southern
holding movement, got up and withdrew
in favor of Senator Kefauver. When
Minnesota's Senator Humphrey followed
suit the bruising battle was over. The
man whom Harry Truman used to call
"cow-fever" had made it at last.
A Stevenson ticket. we
think, has definite strengths and definite
weaknesses. Senator Kefauver has de-
voted following. He also has an oppoSi-
ton which dislikes him intensely. But
despite some harsh things he said about
Mr.. Stevenson during the primaries, he
should strengthen the ticket with the
farmers and in the So-called liberal pre-
cinctS. He will hurt it in the South. But
the South has Stevenson, greatly pre-
ferred to Averen Hartman, and a plat
form it can live with. 1t will have to
swallow Estes Kefauver or Jump to the
Republican camp. -.os sr-.a
And speaking Of the Republicans,
there is another interesting angle to the
Kefauver nomination. If Mr.. Nixon
emerges as the Republican vice presi-
Dental choice, as he undoubtedly will,
both parties will have highly contro-
versial figures in the No. spot. Some
Democrats, with Mr.. Nixon in mind, have
been muttering darkly about the Vice
President being only single heartbeat
away from the presidency. And that is
true. But if the specter of Richard Nixon
succeeding to the presidency can be
raised, the same thing goes for Estes
Kefauver. If there are number of voters
who shrink from the prospect of Mr..
Nixon moving into the White House, there
are at least as many more who feel the
same way about Mr.. Kefauver, SO this is
knife that cuts both ways. Our guess
is that the vice presidential issue has
been blunted for the purposes of this
campaign.
Evening star., 1956-08-18
Indignant Mother

For shame on Gen. Pate
and Gen. Pullerl The back
slapping. and Glad to know
you. my boy. Good luck, my
boyl" episodes in the trial Of
Sergt. McKeon were enough to
make every mother indignant.
Condoning, even excusing, the
loss Of six young men, the
slapping Of recruits faces, the
drinking on duty-it Is un-
believable.
Why were Sergt. McKeon's
men less good than the
others? Because OF his leader
ship, Of course. And why
we're they taken on the
fatal night march into the
river? For discipline, so-called.
And what terrible crime we're
they being disciplined for? A
little horseplay during rest
period, and seconds Of dessert
at dinnerl
! hope my boys never serve
under the like Of Sergt. Nc
Keon. Gen. Pate or Gen. Pull
Ter. and that they shun the
Marine teaching Of Never ad-
init any Marine can do any
wrong"
Mother Of Sons.
Evening star., 1956-08-18
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Man Hopes to Learn the Seas Secrets
BY THOMAS r. HENR

phere water which in summer
is bound up in vegetation and
ground water is released in
winter and finds its way back
into the sea.
May Use Wave-RecOrder
For measurement Of recur-
rent non-tidal changes the
United States stations prob
ably will be equipped with the
so-called Van Dorm long,
wave recorder. Ordinary waves
are filtered out by a long hose
pipe connection to fairly deep
water and the longer pressure
fluctuations are communicated
to the inside and outside Of a
flexible measuring bellows
through glass capillarieS. The
bellows is contained in a cy-
lindrical can surmounted by a
vertical standpipe about two
inches in diameter. Heighth of
water in the standpipe is CONF
pared to that outside under
various tidal conditions. With
this apparatus. it is believed.
1t will be possible to make
measurements of the long
waves with an accuracy Of
about a thirtieth of an inch.
Russian oceanographers have
reported to the international
committee a somewhat more
complicated apparatus for the
same purpose.
Most of the longer period
changes in sea level, it is be-
lieved, can be explained ade-
quately by changes in the
density Of water due to tenn
perature differences and diff
ferences In salt content. To
determine these factors 1t is
planned that water measure-
mentS down to a depth of at
least 1000 feet be made once a
month as near as possible to
all the major guage stations.
In some cases, however, this
will be about 100 miles away.
The five to so minute nom
tidal oscillations offer another
difficult problem. It is be-
lieved that they may be tied
UP in some way with oscilla-
tions Of the magnetic field Of
the earth. The guage record
ings will be compared closely
with the records obtained from
magnetic stations.
Overshadowing all in long
range Importance is deter
rnination of whether sea level
is absolutely rising over most
Of the world. Such a rise has
been reported. It could be
explained by melting of the
Arctic and Antarctic icecaps
but there is no absolute GER
tainty that there is any actual
melting over a prolonged PEE
riod. Glacier measurements
show decreases one year and
increases the next and the
northern and southern ice
masses do not act in unison.
1t is planned that all the
stations viii be established be-
tween July, 1857 and Decem-
ber, 1858.