davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Reossessment Progress

The impotence evidenced by men,
bers of House Appropriations subcom-
mittee over the Districts city-wide re-
assessment program is understandable
when viewed against the estimated bene-
fits expected from the survey. District
Assessor Martin told the subcommittee
that the assessed valuation Of taxable
real estate in Washington will be raised
about $225 million when the new APP
praisals go into effect on July /, 1859.
That will mean an average increase in
property values of about 10 per cent.
With the District sorely in need of addi-
tional revenues, the reasseSSment pro-
gram assumes tremendous Importance.
Members of the subcommittee
wanted to know why the new assessments
could not be applied as soon as COM
pleted, so as to start bringing in addi-
tional taxes as soon as possible. District
officials expressed doubt that such plan
would be legal. The Corporation Counsel
has been asked to rule on the question.
by Mr.. Martin and his special assistant,
Walter Lahde, showed that good progress
is being made on the first comprehensive
reaSseSSment undertaken here in many
years. Some properties have not been
reappraiSed for tax purposes in 20 or 80
years. The project promises to produce
rich dividends for the city, in addition
to eliminating gross inequalities in
apportionment of the realty tax load.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Spending for Prosperity

Students of the national economy
must be impressed by the current Gov
eminent estimate that private industry
Will spend $35 billion this year on plant
expansion and improvement. For this
figure is nearly 81 billion above last years
record of capital investment, and more
than 81 billion above forecasts made less
than three months ago. The latest pre-
diction is made jointly by the Department
OF Commerce and the Securities and
Exchange Commission, on the basis of
figures Supplied-before President Eisen-
hover announced his willingness to run
again-by private industry itself. Fur
thermore, lest there be suspicion of wish
full political thinking, it should be noted
that this joint study has been made
annually for the past 10 years and has
maintained high record of accuracy.
It's few errors, in fact, almost invariably
have been on the side of Understanding
plant investment during this decade.
1t is of interest, too, that the pace
of this spending is expected to pick up
during the last half of the year-indicat-
Ing that the business community expects
a new surge to the boom rather than a
tapering off. AS examples of this opti-
niSm, manufacturers expect their 1856
sales volume to climb per cent above
that in 1855 and utilities expect per
cent increase in demand for power Sup
porting these estimates, incidentally, are
the findings of wholly different Gov
eminent study "a survey of consumer
finances also conducted annually by the
Federal Reserve Board Although there
is greater margin for error in this type
of estimating, the boards testing of 1880
families indicates increased consumer
spending for new homes, automobiles,
household appliances and various other
items.
A third piece of evidence attesting
to the good health of the economy is
provided by Wall Street Journal anal
ysis of first-quarter corporation profits.
Among 20 industrial groups, only farm
equipment and automobile manufac-
turerS expect to report reduced earnings
for the current three months. The cleo
trical equipment industry average is
lowered by the long Westinghouse strike,
but 26 other groups expect increases or
no change from the first quarter of 1855.
No economy can maintain con-
stantly upward pace. Even long-term
boom has its valleys as well as its peaks.
But a growing population, improved pro-
duction methods and high birth rate OF
new ideas from industrial laboratories
currently are exercising healthy pressure
on our own economy Business confidence
appears to be soundly based these days.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
East Strife

References to Israel in a
recent column by Dorothy
Thompson, columnist and
president of the American
Friends of the Middle East,
are thoroughly inaccurate.
1t is obvious that if there
are hostilities on the Syrian
Israel frontier, as on any other
frontier in the world, the guilt
will lie with the party that
shoots first. Miss Thompson
appears to believe that. Syria,
through whose territory the
river Jordan does not flow, has
a right to use force to ensure
that Israel shall not use a drop
of water from a river which
flows exclusively through her
territory for ga miles. If Syria
wishes to ensure that these
precious water resources shall
run uselessly into a ditch, and
uses force to impose this waste.
Miss Thompson apparently
will be Loyalty at Syria's side.
The United Nations Charter
does not authorize the use of
force to prevent member states
from irrigating their own fields
with their own water. Israel
does not intend, under this or
any other projects, to use any
water not rightfully hers, in
accordance with objective
criteria of Law and engineering.
There is no economic project
in the world less open to re-
proach than the B'not Ya'acov
hydroelectric project.
President Eisenhower's plan.
elaborated and presented by
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19

Ambassador Eric Johnston,
pays this project the compli-
ment of including it high on
its list of the constructive
enterprises which Israel should
be assisted to carry out.
In the United Nations Secur-
ity Council, a seven-member
majority, including the United
States, proposed resolution
which the Syrian Ambassador
admitted to be a rejection of
Syria's case against the B'not
Ya'acov project. Ambassador
Lodge denied that Syria has
a right to veto this project,
saying: "No government
should. in our opinion. exercise
a veto power over legitimate
projects in the demilitarized
zone"
Miss Thompson's position
and the authentic American
position are thus Numerically
opposed.
H. Y. OrgeI,
Information Attache, En-
bassy of Israel.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Answers Moncure

"A cancer in the side OF Vir-
ginia" is the diagnosis of the
condition of Northern Virginia
by Delegate Frank p. Moncure.
Judging by the vengeful action
of the Legislature, many of his
associates concur.
The only cure for cancer is
surgery. Why not cut the
cancer" out of the side of
Virginia and graft it onto the
District of Columbia? Per-
haps the District would well
come the cancer" and the
cancer" itself might prefer a
different host.
There would, Of course, be
some disadvantages to the
Cancer" such as the sales
tax, but there would be some
compensation in being rid Of
the grossly unfair price-flx-
ing on milk.
Acquisition of the cancer
perhaps would give the Dis
trict the support needed in
its long-desired privilege of
suffrage.
Will diagnostician Moncure
be brave enough to plan for
the surgical operation at the
earliest possible time, please?
A. G.. Murray.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
a Look at the Future of Medicine
By THOMAS r. HENRY

Radioactive iodine affords q
measure of the buildup Of
blood circulation In a graft. It
has led to the knowledge that
such gratis get their blood
circulation much quicker than
previously had been thought.
usually In 10 days to two weeks.
"a few more things" DR..
Newell reports. have been
learned by tagging red cells
with radioactive iron or chro-
MUM. We find that the
amount Of iron in blood plasma
is small and its turnover amaz-
ingly rapid in polycythemia
(excess of red ceHs). We meas
ure the rate of destruction Of
red cells in anemics. Normal
red cells live from 100 to 100
days. In sickle-cell anemia
they die of not at a given age.
but rather young or old &C
cording to chance and with q
very much shortened half life.
Variety of Hemoglobin
ct has been found that
there are a half dozen kinds Of
hemoglobin, the red pigment
of blood. BY tagging them
you can find out what kinds
affect the life Of the red cell
in which they are lodged.
I'VE are trying to measure
pancreatic function by seeing
whether radioactive zinc would
appear quickly in the duode-
mum. Nothing has come Of
that as yet. In another test
serum albumin tagged with
radioactive iodine is given by
mouth.
"Vitamin Biz is the only
substance in the internal econ
omy which contains cobalt. It
now is available tagged with
radioactive cobalt. If this is
given by mouth it is normally
absorbed, but not in the alb
sence of the vitamin which is
the defect characteristic Of
pernicious anemia."
These, DR.. Newell stressed,
are the most significant uses
made of radioactive isotopes
in diagnosis and basic physiol-
ogy to date, but apparently
science has barely crossed the
doorstep of possible uses.
There seems, he says, to be
no limit to the number of
possible Investigations which
would yield an increase of
knowledge in regard to bio
chemistry and biological
changes in the body. The
things we don't know are le-
gion and the proportion of
those in which one could profit
ably make use of radioactive
tracers is large. The promise
of the future is overwhelm-
ingly in basic research.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Meat Packers Cut

An editorial appearing in The
Star of February S related to
Secretary of Agriculture Ben
son and his admonition to
meat marketers to tighten
marketing COSTS" The edi-
torial recited that this organi-
zation had stated that pack
ers' profit margins are noto-
riously low" Thereafter there
were some statements regard.
ing 1855 earnings by individual
companies. For example, it was
stated that "Armour's net was
up $50 per cent" over 1854
earnings. Stated this way, your
readers were given the impress
sion that either this organiza-
ton did not know what it was
talking about or that we were
disappearing facts. Neither
is true. We submit that the
statement about the net profit
of one of our member COM
panies being up $50 per
cent" was, at least, a bit mis-
leading. 1t would have been
more fairly informative if it
had also been pointed out that
in 1854 the earnings of this
particular company were less
than one tenth of a cent per
dollar of sales; and further,
that such profits as there were.
were derived in no small de-
gree from products other than
meat.
We have been amazed at the
way some publications have
twisted facts in connection
with meat packers profits. For
example, In referring to an
other one of our members it
has been stated (not by The
Starr that the company's
earnings in 1855 were the
highest since 1880" True, but
the company suffered a loss of
more than 81 million in 1854,
and in 1855 it happened to
pick up a profit of $2.7 million,
which was less than a cent ne4.
dollar of sales.
Of possible interest is the
fact that meat-packing COM
panies for months have been
selling dressed beef (choice
grade) for fewer dollars than
they paid for live animals from
which the beef was derived.
During a recent typical week,
choice dressed beef on the
Chicago market was selling at
wholesale for about $13 less
than was paid for choice cattle
on the hoof. OF course, the
value Of by-products, both
edible and inedible, made up
the difference.
Norman Draper,
Director, Department of
Public Relations, Ameri-
lean Meat Institute.
Chicago.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19

The riddle of cancer, and
many other medical problems.
eventually will be solved by
radioactive isotopes-but not
in the ways predicted a few
years ago.
BY using them as a sort Of
super-X-ray apparatus in ex-
detrimental laboratories, how
ever, there will come hitherto
undreamed of understanding
of the physiological processes
of living.
Conquest of cancer, for
example, depends on under
standing the origins and mech
anisms of the wide variety Of
diseases with a common syn
drome of cells running wild in
reproduction.
This hope is held out by DR..
Robert r. Newell of Leland
Stanford University Medical
School in a report to the Office
of Naval Research in which he
assesses somewhat pessimis-
tically the value of isotopes in
clinical medical practice. Even
now, he believes, the greatest
value of the so-called "explod-
ing atoms" lies in diagnosis
rather than treatment.
Accomplishments Listed
AS for some of the accom-
plishments to date he lists the
following:
Radioactive iron, given by
vein, will tag red blood cells.
This can be used to determine
internal bleeding. Red cells
are destroyed in the regular
course of nature but the iron
goes into new ones which are
formed. This affords a means
of studying an anemic pa
TENTS blood formation.
Human serum albumin,
blood constituent, can be
tagged with radioactive iodine.
This can be used as a means
Of measuring the volume of
blood plasma.
Isotopes that radiate gam
ma rays can be used to study
the dynamics of circulation.
With the proper technique it
is possible to deduce the vol
ume of blood which is flowing
through the heart by measur-
ing the rate at which a dose
of radioactive iodine is diluted
as it goes into the blood
stream. BY this means the
amount of blood going
through once every minute
can be determined.
Isotopes also are valuable
in determining the status of
peripheral blood vessels. In
the case of diabetic gangrene
this helps a doctor decide
whether amputation of a limb
is necessary.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Human Side of Tragedy

The Star has been a part of
my life as far back as I can
remember, and I've gotten hot
under the collar, and have
nodded vigorously in agree
ment over letters to the editor
-vowing to reply to many of
them. But there was always
dinner to prepare or other
chores. Now a letter must be
written-a letter of thanks to
the unknown gentleman who,
while driving in Glover Park
on March 9, did not become a
hit-and-run driver when my
sons pet ran in front of his
car. The dog died several
hours later. We want the good
man to know how much we
appreciate his concern and his
desire to help. His thought
fulness was a good experience
for the many 'neighborhood
children and adults who gath
cred about.
Barbara N. Burruss.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Indignation Views

In his recent letter, Eugene
j. Fitzpatrick said he was
from the North, but had tray
eled in the South: and then
proceeded to give a psychology
'ical treatise on Southern atti-
tudeS toward the Negro. He
said the greatest sympathy for
an end to racial discrimination
comes from those who enjoy
higher social status" while
the agitation for keeping
them in their places" increases
as social and intellectual quail
tiles decrease.
/, too, have done some trav-
cling, and have lived in both
the Deep South GouisianaJ
and Northern California. am
sure Mr.. Fitzpatrick does not
brand as Ignorant" all those
who disagree with him on the
race question. But think he
should be informed that in the
North, South and West, there
are many intelligent people of
every social status who believe
in the practice of racial dis
crimination-i.e. discrimina-
ton in the form of separation,
not suppression.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick does not
mention racial pride as a fac
tor in DiXie's attitude toward
the Negro. Yet racial pride,
think, could be most import
ant factor, and it is found
among some of the colored as
well as the whites. In Self
Association as Negro Policy"
an article which appeared in
the Dallas Morning News on
October 10, 1855, Fora Neale
Hurston, Negro novelist and
short story writer, and holder
of both Rosenwald and Gug-
genheim fellowships, said that
she regarded the Supreme
Court ruling in the school seq
regation case as insulting.
rather than honoring, her
race.
Elgar Smith.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Picks His Ticket

I am greatly amused by
lamentations of reactionary
Republicans in your columns
lately. They criticize Mr.. Eli
senhower's health, his running
mate, the decisions of his Su-
preme Court and his supposed
neglect Of the budgets of our
armed forces. For an anna
teur in politics, the President
displays the acumen of a true
genius. He and his team have
pulled the rug out neatly and
completely from under the
Democrats and they are f1oun-
dering all over the country
with ambiguous and contra
dictory statements.
Most amusing is the fact
that old-line Republicans are
in the same situation. Thomas
L. Stokes calls this Eisenhow-
er's strange magic. There is
nothing strange about it. The
President has transferred his
remarkable powers of concen-
tration and organization from
the military to the political.
For a military genius who di-
rected the successful outcome
of the greatest war in history.
the presidency should be moth
ing more than an absorbing
pastime. I doubt that the
Office had much effect on his
heart. I believe that his heart
attack began during those ter
rible hours of uncertainty
prior to and just after D day
in Normandy. Like Thomas
E. Mattingly, MD, I also am
about to switch my party, only
I'm. going the other way. This
time I like Ike. What's more,
I like Dick, too.
Roland Bieren, MD.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL

The smear campaign is not
new.
1t has been going on for
years, always in exactly the
same way.
The creature you wish to
crush, you first malign by
cooking up some story or other
against it.
Anything will do.
In this way, the beautiful
coyote for many years was the
victim of very bad publicity.
Now it is seen that the an
imal is not half, or even one
tenth, as bad as it has been
painted.
"The only good Indian is
a dead Indian"
So went one of the great
est of the smear campaigns, so
efficient that the poor Redmen
were first driven out of their
rolling acres and mountains,
and then pushed back to the
far West.
1t is easy to talk badly
against almost anything.
So crows, common sparrows,
starlings and other fine nat
ural creatures are besmirched.
The various hawks were for
years killed at will, until con-
servation authorities at last
made some Roadway against
the talk.
Now only a few of the hawks
can be killed legitimately.
1t is seen that the work
they do against rodents is far
more to their credit than the
ills, some of them imaginary,
held against them.
The largest hawks and owls
seldom take any living prey
larger than rats or mice.
There is not much danger
that even an eagle will try to
fly away with a cat or small
dog.
The efforts to hold the strug-
cling creature would not be
worth it, if you were an eagle.
Ask any of the eagles along
the Potomac, and you will find
that they feel this way
about it.
We might suggest, however,
that just before dusk might be
regarded as a danger time, and
that if an eagle has been seen
near during the day, it might
be a good idea to keep a small
pet inside at that time.
Cries of a cat, even a Sia-
mese, which utters some
strange yowls, would not at
tract an eagle. The big bird
would regard only plumpness,
the eating quality, as it were.
TOO much fur" the ma
tional emblem might say. "I'll
stick to fish," And who could
blam him?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Thinks of March

I think of March not as a time
OF bare, gray boughS, mind
bent,
And thdWing ground and long,
cold rains,
And SorroUing 1UeekS OF
Lent
! think of March a day in
March
When Gabriel fen to earth
And brought the startled Mary
there
The promise of Christ'S
Birth.
Violet AIIeyn Storey
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19

@. How many attempts had
been made to climb Kanchen-
junga in the Himalayas before
the successful ascent of 1855?
e. P. H.
A. Beginning in 1899, II
parties have visited Kanchen-
junga-one of the worlds
most difficult and dangerous
mountains-and eight men
have died upon it. The third
highest mountain in the world,
it long has defled conquest by
man. not only because of wind,
weather and altitude, but be-
cause of technical climbing
problems and dangers even
greater than those on Everest.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Fumes

Fumes
The Washington Gas Light
Co., despite the fact that its
customers pay one of the high
est rates in the East. persists
in two practices which increase
the financial load passed on to
the consumer. These are:
/. Sponsoring the Mrs.
Washington contest.
2. Publishing and distribute
ing miscellaneous literature
mailed to the customer along
with the monthly statement.
1t is obvious that both prac-
tees cost money, and it is
equally apparent that the pub
lie foots the bill. They both
represent a lot of nonsense
which the company can dis
pense with. and perhaps pass
a little of the savings on to the
consumer. I recently discussed
this matter with the company
and was informed that the
public response to both prac-
tices is enthusiastic. I ex-
pressed considerable doubt
about this statement and pro-
ceeded to ask friends and
neighbors about their feelings
on this subject. No one was
interested in the Mrs. Wash
ington contest, and only a
bare minority read the litera-
ture the company incloses in
the statement envelope.
John A. George.
Editors note: The gas COM
pany says most of the liter
ature mailed with the state-
ments is of an informative
or promotional nature and OF
value to the consumer. Much
of it is read, the company
believes. At times the COM
pany promotes the sale of gas
ranges or dryers, pointing out
that increased consumption
results in a lower rate to con-
sumers. No additional post
age is involved in sending this
material OUT
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Retiring With Honor

The long roll of our country's distin-
guiShed military leaders of World War II
who have gone into retirement is gaining
another well-known name this month.
It is that of General ]. Lawton Collins,
known as Lightning Joe" when his 7th
Corps swept across France in 1914. And
like many others who established reputa
tions as lighting men" more than dec
ade ago, General Collins has served with
comparable distinction in the troubled
years since. Among his many assignments
was that of Chief of Staff of the Army
from 1949 to 1853 He has twice been
United States representative on the Mill
tary Committee and Standing Group of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
and, with the rank of Ambassador, was
special representative of the United States
in Wet Man,
General Collins relief from active
duty follows by a few weeks the retire
ment of another officer of wide popular
ity in Westinghouse. General Floyd L.
Parks. General Parks also led American
troops across part of enemy-held Western
Europe and was commanding the first
American units into Berlin in 1945 His
last assignment was that as commander
of the I'd Army, with headquarters at
nearby Fort Meade. Both General Collins
and General Parks, incidentally, served
postwar tours as Chief of Information for
the Army at the Pentagon. Both have
earned the gratitude of the Nation for
their service, and the friendship of all
those who have known them.