davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11

months. It's first meeting was held last
October, which left little time to under
take the special studies required to
formulate adequate recommendations.
Moreover, the group has been handi-
capped by failure of Congress to appro-
pirate any funds for the task.
Under the circumstances, the bill
sponsored by Representatives Thompson
of New Jersey and KearnS of Pennsyl-
vania (members of the commission) to
extend the life of the commission and
provide administrative funds is deserving
Of prompt passage. The bill would give
the commission until May to make
report. Since this report is to guide Con-
gress in drawing up legislation on the
form, scope and financing of the project,
it should be as comprehensive and con-
vincing as possible. 1t is too much to
expect the commission to submit such
a report by the end of this month.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11

@. Does the redwood tree
nave a deep root system? L. A.
A. No. The root system is
shallow, but so widespread that
one trees roots will spread
over an acre of ground. The
buttress formation of the base
of the tree, which develops over
the centuries, enables it to
withstand storms and wind
even though the root system
is not a deep one.
@. In naming a new business
which will be widely advertised,
is it better to use the founders
family name or to use the
coined name of the product?
ID. A. V.
A. This question cannot be
answered on the basis of such
a choice. If the family name
is widely known, it may have
advertising value. Sometimes
a combination of family name
and product name is best. A
good business name must be
brief, pleasant to read and to
hear. must attract attention
and be easy to remember, and
must be suited to the product.
A good name usually suggests
stability or quality. Tricky"
names or those based on cur
rent fads do not wear well, and
are usually unsuitable for
products outside the "gadget"
field. -
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11

Two stars revolving around
each other inside a single she'll
of gas whose diameter is about
100000 times the diameter
of the sun are described in a
report just issued by astrono-
mers of the Carnegie Institu-
ton Of Washington.
One Of the stars is the Sec
ond largest, in volume, known
the red giant alpha Hero
ules. 1t is about $4,000, 900
times the size of the sun, is of
relatively low mass, and is
quite cool. It's companion is
also q giant, much larger but
belonging to the same spectral
type as the sun.
The presence Of the all
enveloping shell is revealed by
spectrum observations of DR..
Armin J. Deutsch of the Car
negie Institutions Mt. Palo-
mar staff.
The observations also indi-
cate that alpha Hercules is
quite rapidly on its way. on a
galactic time scale, towards
ending its days as a densely
hot white dwarf star, a cubic
inch Of whose substance will
weigh several hundred tons.
1t is losing its mass In heat
and light radiation at such a
rate that the loss will be equal
to the total mass of the sun
in about ten million years.
Hercules Has Dim Future
The shell surrounding the
two stars, the Carnegie astro-
nomers conclude, is itself
highly tenuous. It's total mass
is only about a hundred
thousandth that of the sun
and the gases of which it is
composed are condensed in
clouds which I'LL only about
a ten-millionth of its total
volume.
That the great. extremely
white alpha Hercules will end
up as a small. very heavy
white dwarf seems inevitable,
the astronomers say, but on
the way 1t will pass through
many stages on which at pres
ent there Is no information.
Finding Of a series of bands
around the circumference of
Venus from a series of 1900
photographs taken in mira
violet light Of the earth's
neighbor planet are reported
by Carnegie astronomers Edi-
son Petit and Robert S. Rich
ardson. They offer, however,
no Interpretation of these
markings which hardly can be
reflections Of surface features.
The actual surface remains
almost completely hidden by
the dense cloud color Of the
planet which, while twice as
hot as the earth and possibly
with a year-long day, is per-
haps the most suitable place
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
Paying for IVA

In taking issue with "Old
Reactionary" on the iva
hassle. Roland Bieren, M. D.,
made it clear that he has an
extremely dim view of private
interests" in general.
According to his letter, pri-
vate interests are a greedy,
selfish lot. And it was their
public be damned attitude and
"exorbitant demands for ex-
cesSive profits" which gave
Government agencies the OPP
portunity to discover they
could furish many services at
a substantial saving to their
budgets.
No doubt 1t is true that the
Government can and does
furnish many services to Spe-
cific persons or to residents of
specific areas at saving But
only at the expense of those
who for one reason or another
can not avail themselves of
such services, yet must share
the cost
IVA, for example. Naturally
consumers Of that area can
buy their electricity cheaper.
Not, however, because the Gov
eminent can develop power at
q lower cost. But because res
idents Of your area and mine,
who receive absolutely nothing
in return, must help them foot
their bills. while paying for our
own electricity privately.
Some. No.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
WSTAS IN SCIENCE
Some GIeonings of Stor-Gozers
BY THOMAS r. HENRI

for possible life, except for
the earth, in the solar system.
n \ -
The hundred-billion star
Milky Way galaxy is, like a few
hundred thousand similar
galaxies known to astronomers,
a spiral like a wound-up watch
spring. The solar system is on
the inside of one Of the spiral
arms, about 200 parsecs from
the center. A parsec. unit COM
monty used to measure space.
is approximately 20.0o0.000.-
100000 miles.
This is one of the findings Of
radio astronomers Of the
Carnegie Institution of WASH
ington operating a radio tele-
scope at nearby Derwood, Md.
Their conclusions are based
on emanations of 21-centimeter
radio waves from vast clouds
of cold hydrogen gas between
the stars. It had previously
been shown that these gas
clouds are most abundant in, If
not entirely confined to, the
spiral arms Of the galaxy.
Trying to Trace Course
The Derwood astronomer
physicists have plotted, admit
tedly quite inadequately be-
cause of the inadequacies Of
their instrument, the locations
of these clouds in the partic-
ular arm Of which the earth Is
a part. They are trying to
trace the course Of this local
arm to its starting point, the
dust-hidden center Of the
galaxy itself.
Eventually. according to a
report of Drs. H. E. Tatel, M.
A. Tuve and E. T. Ecklund, it
may be possible to trace the
CONGREGATIONS Of all the spiral
arms by picking up the radia-
lions from these hydrogen
clouds. They have determined
that. in general, the bigger the
cloud the stronger the radio
signals received from it.
Meanwhile the radio astron-
omers are trying to explain the
most mysterious event since the
Derwood observatory was
opened, the receiving Of radio
signals from the giant, sup
posedly completely cold planet
Jupiter. These they first re-
ported last summer and not
only have had consistent re-
suits ever since but have found
that colleagues in Australia
are getting the same signals.
1t was thought at first that
the radio emissions might be
due to lightning storms in the
heavy atmosphere Of Jupiter.
This hypothesis, according to
the report. probably must be
abandoned. Lightning flashes
never last more than a tenth
OF a second. Some of the out
bursts from Jupiter last as long
as q second.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
Sketches

Time takes her finger and
thoughttully etcheS
Lines on our life: like a child.
tDinter-bound,
Spreads out a pattern OF rel
eDdnt sketches
ODer a iDindoW tDhere frost
has been found.
Flourishing circles, a smile
appears leaping;
Then Jagged marks like a
scar she ,DiH trace.
When little drops trickle doUn
in their ,Deepino.
Time. like the child, soon
begins to erase.
Jeon Meroord i.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
Starting All Over Again

1t is apparent from the studies and
findings of citizens advisory committee
that civil defense planning must be
of ultimate" weapons. The program of
Federal-State-m municipal teamwork now
in effect Is based on atomic bomb con-
cepts. 1t gives a large measure of re-
sponsibility to local authorities, under a
self-help policy. But the rapid develop
ment Of superweapons, including the
hydrogen bomb and the intercontinental
ballistic missile, has brought need for
greater Federal responsibility In civil
defense.
The report of the study group calls
for an enlargement Of the scope Of Fed
eral authority In time Of nuclear warfare
to fit the enlarged target areas of the
H-bomb and perhaps even more deadly
missiles. Specifically, the committee
urges that target zones once laid out
along city patterns be vastly expanded
into metropolitan area" zones, generally
conforming to the potential destruction
area not only of present-type hydrogen
bombs but of even more devastating ones
in the future.
Such an enlargement of target zones
necessarily would entail wider exercise Of
overall Federal control in time of dis
aster-and less local responsibility. The
committee stresses, however, that con-
tinued State, county and municipal CO.
operation would be essential in any new
program. AS first step in revising
present plans, the committee recon-
mends a series of target-zone surveys
in IA of the larger metropolitan areas,
including Washington. The surveys
alone would cost total of about STA
million-and Congress has been notably
reluctant to appropriate much money
for civil defense. Apathy of the general
public has about matched that Of their
representatives at the Capitol.
Taking cognizance of this lack of
enthusiasm in planning for an emer-
gency, the committee suggests step
ping up of civil defense Information and
education activities, with view to arous-
ing the people to the need of preparing
in advance for cataclysmic blows that
cannot be ruled out as unthinkable. Past
experience suggests, however, that it will
not be enough to demonstrate need for
advance preparation. 1t must also be
shown that effective preparations are
feasible. o. Ia
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

Whatever may be said
against our city, at times, it
will be remembered for one
thing, that it gave place to all
peoples. and accepted them,
despite their faults and Attic
tons.
1t is encouraging, in think
ing back, to see how well WASH
ington accepts the halt and
the crippled, the blind and the
haraSSed.
The city has more old ladies.
one may feel sure. than any
other great capital in the
world, and they all ride the
buses every day, and the driv-
ers take care in stopping and
starting to prevent jolting
them down in the aisles.
Young people with strange
tics. which cause them to shake
their heads and arms and legs
spaSmodically, can walk our
streets without exciting COM
ment, or even glances.
Once there was a young fell
low who could walk Pennsylva-
mia avenue only by holding
. the back of his head with
both hands.
His grotesque gait drew no
eyes. He walked the only way
he could.
Now the Old Man with the
Lump on His Neck is gone.
He was a good. kindly man
who worked long years after
modern workers think they
ought to be retired" what
ever they mean by that.
His aff1iction he bore silent
ly, with good humor and COM
plete courtesy.
Templeton Jones knows. He
spoke to him once, and re-
members his smile.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
postmon's Ring Hollow
What has happened to III

What has happened to the
Federal postal system? The
Wanted motto-"Neither snow
nor rain nor heat nor night
stays these couriers from the
swift completion Of their APP
pointed rounds"-has q hollow
ring these days.
Current deliveries Of even
important business mail. fall
ing anywhere from two to ten
days behind the usual schedule.
point up the basic weakness in
the system-politicS.
Let's take the postal system
out of politics and operate it as
1t should be run-as a public
utility.
3 Ernest w. Vaudeville.
Allenhurst. N. J.
A few years ago. your paper
publicized evidence Of poor
mail service, and thereafter
service seemed to improve. 1t
has. however, again deterio-
rated. judging from my expert
ence and that Of others.
For instance, long before the
Christmas rush began it took
10 days for a box mailed in
Evansville, Ind. to be delivered
here. Likewise, it took 10 days
for a package mailed here to
be delivered in Evansville. !
have just received a package
from there, postmarked De-
cember 81. 1t arrived Janu-
airy 4, a service which some
years ago required no more
than three days.
An air-mail letter post
marked in Evansville on De-
cember 10, mailed before the
noon pickup. was delivered on
December "a only a few hours
before one sent by regular mail
on December 81.
A package postmarked De-
cember % in Garfield. N. j.,
was delivered on December 20.
although one mailed on the
same date in Ann Arbor. Mich.
arrived on December 26. A
friend here received, after eight
days, a package mailed in
Salem, Mass, and not during
the. Christmas season.
Southeast Washington citi-
zens' associations are fighting
a reduction in service at the
Fort Davis postal substation.
which has thrown q heavier
burden on the Anacostia sta
ton and others. Carriers who
formerly delivered from the
Fort Davis station have been
transferred TO other stations.
50 that much time is wasted
in travel to and from their
routes. and deliveries are de-
layed.
Perhaps by highlighting re-
cent and current inadequacies
The Star can again aid in
securing more efficient postal
service. 1t is unlikely that the
fault lies entirely in the local
system: it would seem that an
investigation is needed. Higher
postal rates are being advo-
Gated; let there first be i'm
proved service.
M, f, Morris.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11

thousands OF people knew
him only as the Old Man with
the Big Lump on his Neck.
Now he is gone. and there is
a void of a sort at 18th street
and Pennsylvania avenue,
where he was seen every day.
A bus knocked him down.
somebody said. but what his
name was, nobody seemed to
know.
He was a kindly old man,
always dressed in neat black.
with a black hat that sloped
over his lump.
No observer could get away
from the lump. any more than
the Old Man could.
It sat there. large. meaty,
livid pink.
1t hung over his collar. and
bowed him toward the pave
ment, but it evidently offered
no hindrance to his move
mentS.
In all sorts Of weather. cold
and hot. he was seen going
along, always carrying a dis
patch case.
People gazed in mingled
fascination and horror at the
thing on the back Of his
neck.
Some said goiter, but it was
in the wrong place.
Others said other things,
but nobody who looked knew
whether he was right or not.
It would have taken a physi-
clan to know. and they are all
too busy to be at Thirteenth
street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. at $3.50 in the morning.
X II 4 X
Now the old man is gone.
Templeton Jones was among
the few who had ever spoken
to him.
Jones was standing at Elev-
enth street on the Avenue,
ostentatiously waiting for the
light, but actually not moving
when it changed.
He was taking a sun bath.
He had a scent piece in
his hand, ready to buy The
Star when it appeared on the
street.
He dropped the coin just
as the old fellow came along.
It was high summer. Taxis
sped by, in the way taxis do,
on their apparently endless
Journeys.
A few ladies came along the
sidewalk.
The old man with the big
lump smiled, a rather sweet
smile, and leaned down.
He picked up the coin, and
gravely handed it to Temple
ton Jones.
TOO hard to make" he
said. Mustn't drop it."
Jones accepted the coin with
his customary courtesy.
"You are right" he said,
gravely in his turn,
1t was the only time he ever
spoke to the man, as far as he
knew, the only time any one
had spoken to him.
Now he was dead. under a
name which. if printed, nobody
recognized.
If his affection had been
named, thousands would have
recognized him.
He Is gone, now. lost in city
traffic forever.
He was a type of the human
completely of a modern great
city, a city now risen to world
wide acclaim and fame. III
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
Strophonoer's Lament

SttuVttuHSCi , @~"S"
Regarding recent express
sions Of opinion concerning
the future of Washington's
transit system, there seems to
be little result forthcoming.
except the makings Of an end
less controversy. Unfortu-
nately, as the transit rider APP
pears to be a diminishing
quantity. he is apt to get a
diminishing consideration as
to his wants, especially as to
the more expensive forms OF
transportation. No one seems
to want to make a bold ven
ture to attract more riders.
such as some form Of consoh-
dated rail transport. and Con-
gress certainly seems disin-
clined to take q hand In this.
The only other move consid-
cred seems to have been a de-
featist one, that OF having
some private company operate
buses only, and operate them
as cheaply as possible. Some
of the advocates OF such a
principle are not interested in
the welfare OF those who must
avail themselves OF public
transportation; they are in
terested only in getting rid
of all bus and trolley trans
portation so that private cars
and taxis may have free rein.
One of the most contro-
versial expressions on the
transit situation was written
recently in The Star by G. F.
Miller. In his letter. Mr..
Miller characterized the street.
car as a killer" and also
condemned loading platforms
and safety spaces in the streets
as traffic menaces. He stated
that these platforms and
spaces are no protection to the
public, because people step of
them into moving traffic. and
also that cars run into load
ing platforms and kill people.
This leads one to wonder II
this writer Is concerned with
the safety Of the pedestrian
at all. There have been other
letters written on this subject,
that is. getting rid Of troll
leys and all the traffic delay
and obstruction they create;
but they were frankly selfish
attempts by individuals to
have the streets cleared Of all
instructions 80 that they may
speed their merry. unimpeded
way through the city streets,
and let the pedestrian look
out for himself. My only reply
to these latter gentry is that
in the future the pedestrian
may have to pack q gun for
protection against them, for
they are no better than saw
ages. The police are giving
them enough free rein as 1t
is, and If traffic islands are
removed from the boulevards,
the pedestrian has no chance
at uncontrolled intersections
or crossings.
This. at first glance, may
seem that I am straying from
the original topic, but the
transit problem covers all
classes of riders. public and
private. Removal of tracks
and center loading platforms
help the latter class, but many
of these do not exercise proper
judgment in driving, and
should be riding bus or
streetcar or taxi, instead of
being encouraged to increase
their driving speed through
such methods. Streetcar and
bus transportation is the safest
transportation of all, and, in
cidentally. my only interest is
IN getting fares reduced. Mr.,
Miller, and also, you might
consider that the motorist
might be a nuisance to the
pedestrian, too.
William p. Thompson, Jr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
More Time Needed

Congress should grant the request of
the National Auditorium Commission for
more time in which to prepare plans for
an imposing civic auditorium and cul-
turc center in Washington. The orig
inal legislation creating the commission
fi;ed February deadline for report
to Congress- However, appointment of
/, the commission was delayed for several
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry Driters' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to corden-
sdtton.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
Questions and Answers
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE

tactuaI nuestion nv WT;tine Ths
Evenins Star information Bureau.
1900 Eye ct NV Washington 5.
D C Please Inclose cents for re-
turn postage
Evening star., 1956-08-30

The thin-skinned, creamy-tex-
tured Fresh California Bartletts
have a natural place in your
breezy-cooking plans for sum:
mer. Enjoy them, icy-cold, for
breakfast, salads, snackS and
dessert. Enjoy them, too, served
warm in pies and simple baked
desserts.
PEAR SPARKLE SALAD
Make up l package lemon gela-
tin according TO directions. Set
This recipe has been prepared a
for the Promotion of Fres
Evening star., 1956-08-30
Myers Named
Acting Dean Of
Law utAU

John S. Myers. American Uni
versity professor Of law. has
been named acting dean of the
university's law college.
Mr.. Myers, 5105 Chevy Chase
parkway NV. succeeds Dean
David r. Bookstaver, 4519 Forty
third street NV. who has ac-
cepted a senior fellowship at the
Yale University School of Law.
American University also an
nounced the appointment of new
law college faculty members,
New full-time faculty members
are Ralph A. Newman of Stan
ford, Conn.,. as professor of law,
and B. j. Tennery. 3 Stanley
court. Rockville, Md, assistant
professor.
New appointments to the part
time faculty are Maj. Gen
Claude B. Mickelwait, 4500 Cort-
land road, Chevy Chase, retiring
assistant Judge Advocate of the
Army, and Eugene E. Pratt, for
mer Utah State Supreme Court
justice, now with the Armed
Services Board of Contract Ap-
peals in the Defense Department
Acting Dean Myers is a grad
uate of Harvard Law School
From 1925 to 1881, he was an as
sistant to Supreme Court Chief
Justice Charles Evans Hughes
He served in both World Wars
and has been on the American
University law faculty since le47.
Mr.. Newman is a graduate OF
the Harvard Law School and is
a former professor at. st. Johns
University School of Law. Mr.
Tennery received his law degree
from American University and
has since been on the staff O:
the Federal Power Commission
and the Guided Missile Fuze
Laboratory here.
Evening star., 1956-08-30
By THOMAS r. HENRY
Science Editor Of The Star

STORRS. Conn.,. Aug. 30.-
Discovery of an hitherto un-
known family of life. apparently
worldwide in distribution and
one of the most abundant on
earth. was announced before the
American Institute of Biological
Sciences meeting here at the
University of Connecticut today
by Drs. John N. Couch and E. K
Goldie-Smith of the University
of North Carolina.
1t is a combined fungus
bacteria, first one and then the
other. and bridges the gap be-
tween these two great families.
This hitherto has been one of the
greatest gaps in nature. 1t
starts with all the character
istics of microscopic fungus
with a sporagium or sack con-
tanning spores which serve the
same purpose as seeds in the
higher plants.
ElectrOn Microscope
But these spores emerge from
the sack as typical bacterial with
minute, whip-like swimming Or
.gans. The organisms are so
minute that they can be seen
only in diameter. If a man was
magnified as much as is neces-
sary to see one of these, DIR.
Couch said, he would appear
taller than Pixies Peak.
The actinoplanos, as the new
organisms have been named. are
probably the fastest-moving liv-
ing things. in relation to their
size. Their swimming speed
through water is exceeded only
by the speed of jet planes. and
much faster than any motor
driven plane.
They first were found by DR..
Couch in a sample of soil from
the Philippines collected by 1t.
w. l.. Barkesdale of the Army
Medical Corps. The discovery
was entirely accidental while the