davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Transit and the Public

One OF the prerequisites to success
ful operation of WaShington'S or any
other c1ty'S transit system is good public
relations 1t is surprising, therefore, that
O. Roy Chalk, vociferouS head of the D. C.
Transit system, has elected to give the
community remarkable demonstration
OF how not to engender public confidence
and support. We refer to his intemperate
attacks on city officials and on large civic
interests for what he describes as delay
ing tactics" against his varied proposals
Tor improving bus and Streetcar service.
With due allowance for Mr.. Chalk's
UNDERSTANDABLE impatient desire to have
the city accept at once his nine-point pro-
gram for speeding up transit and attract
Ing more customers, he is hardly helping
his cause when he adopts comply-or
else attitude toward the Commissioners
(the else, implicitly, being a complaint
to CongreSS), when he accuses Traffic
Director Keneipp of trying to "booby
trap" the bus-freeway plan and when he
refers to "the petty objections of the
nonprogresSive citizens" of Georgetown
to king-Size Buses
1t is true that in the past the Com
misSionerS blocked many of the plans of
the former WolfSon management of the
transit system for improving service. 1t
Is also true, however, that the new man
agement has been given tax and other
concessions which neither the Capital
Transit Company nor it's predecessors
enjoyed. How much further the city
should go in meeting Mr. Chalk's de-
mandS for additional street and other
privileges is question yet to be decided.
We hope the Commissioners, despite prov
ocationS from Mr.. Chalk, will keep an
open mind on all proposals which might
improve transit. And we hope that Mr..
Chalk will obtain some advice on the
Importance, in the public utility field, of
making friends and not antagonizing
people.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Charlie Tompkins

To his many Washington friends,
Charles H. TompkinS was always the
charming hero of the romantic story that
came to an end yesterday with his death
at 70. Ida, his wife. who preceded him
nearly four years ago, was the heroine.
They had been childhood sweethearts in
old Central High School at the turn Of
the century. They we're married before
Charlie finished his engineering educa-
ton. They started with nothing, working
as devoted partners in building one Of the
great construction firms of this country.
Their home life and their home were re-
Elections OF qualities that brought them
success. a success measured only in part
by material things
They were always together in the
thoughts Of those who knew them both,
which explains why so many others
shared Charlie Tompkins' loneliness OF
the past few years. He found his own
refuge in work. and more work, and in
rounding out with characteristic grace
the full and useful life he had lived. Like
other successful builders, he left many
monuments in Washington TO his own
skill as constructor. One that gave him
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13

deep satisfaction, for he and Mrs. Tomp-
kins had planned it together, is the fine
new Engineering Building presented to
George Washington University, symbol
of his own gratitude for the part the uni
versity played in preparing him for his
life work. A lovable trait of his character
was that he never forgot his own humble
beginnings, or those who helped him
along, and success seemed only to in
crease self-effacing modesty that at
tracted the confidence of others.
There was nothing about Charlie
Tompkins to suggest the advance Of
years, and knowledge of his fatal illness
was confined to few intimate friends.
The shock of his death is softened, how
ever, by the thoughts of life that he
and others knew had been worth living.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Diagnosing the Trouble

The proposal for a Federal survey
OF the Rock Creek watershed, with view
to planning measures to halt erosion and
pollution of the stream, is logical one.
Until the extent of the deterioration of
the creek is known and the reasons there
for established, the "Save Rock Creek"
advocates will be handicapped in their
campaign.
The condition of this once-cryStal
clear stream, chief attraction of the huge
park bearing its name, has been growing
worse, year by year. Overlooking storm
sanitary sewers inside the District and
subdivision developments out in Mary
land have combined in recent years to
contaminate the creek with sewage and
silt. The situation became so bad that
number Of conservation groups Joined
In movement to arouse the public to
demand remedial action
But the exact nature of the problem
Is yet to be defined. 1t is because of this
that the Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission, the
Montgomery County Council and other
PuNAAS oAAu PAANdGC SAOupo nave llIl6Q up
in support of the plan to enlist the aid
of the Federal Soil Conservation Service.
If the Government would undertake
studies of the Rock Greek problem like
those which it has made in many other
valleys, the findings could be the basis
for definite plan of control. We hope
this Federal-local program can be worked
out at an early date.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Lest They FORGET

In the interest Of clarity. /
feel a postscript TO your edi-
torial Lest They. Forget and
Peter A. Coles excellent letter
is In order.
Mr.. Cole raised the question
as to how many B-52 bombers
are actually in service and
indicated the probability Of
delays in getting this aircraft
into full-scale operational
service. To clarity:
ID The Air Force revealed
about i've months ago that at
that time 70 B-52s had been
built. but that only 46 we're in
operational service. II can be
safely assumed that the num-
Der Is higher by this time
but nowhere near the 500 mark
mentioned In your editorial.
At this time. Senator Stuart
Symington stated that 500 atf-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Russia Condemned

The 55-to-8 vote by which the United
Nations condemned RuSSia'S intervention
in Hungary and called upon the Kremlin
to withdraw its forces obviously is not
viewed by the Soviet Union as an incon-
Sequential slap on the wrist.
All of the votes against the resolution
came from the Soviet bloc. In other
words, Russia could not muster the sup
port of even one independent nation. It
is true that 10 ASian-African nations, fol-
lowing midas lead abStained when the
vote was taken. But it is also true that
almost as many other ASian-African
countries, including Burma and Ceylon,
cast their ballots for the resolution. The
significance of this is that Russia, which
has posed as the worlds great peace
maker, is going to find it difficult to sue
ceSSfully assume that role in the future.
For the nations which voted for the reSo-
luton and, we suspect, many of those
who abStained, have seen the light. The
tragic case of Hungary proves beyond a
doubt that RuSSia'S pretensions to a re-
Spect for the rights and liberties of others
is sham, and that the men in the Krem-
lin will not hesitate to resort to the most
ruthless oppression and slaughter when
ever they think that their purposes will
be served by these techniques.
The Soviet reaction to the U. N.
action ran true to form. 1t denounced
the resolution, and Deputy Foreign Min
lister VASTLY Kuznetsov called upon the
General Assembly to investigate what he
called the intervention" by the United
States in the domestic affairs of "the
peoples democracies and it's subversive
activity against those countries" We
hope that Ambassador Lodge will press
for favorable action on Mr.. Kuznetsov'S
proposal, for such an investigation will
afford opportunity to nail one more Rus
sian lie to the mast.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
d. c. Ny Home Town

In a recent article concerning
the song, 1.-THE District Of Co
lumbia Is My Home Town."
written by James l.. Dixon,
Washington real estate man,
The Star quoted a District
Commissioner as opining that
the words District Of Column
bia" would be hard to sing.
What The Star failed to
point out, however, is the fact
that the Sertoma Club Of
Washington, on whose board
of directors Mr.. Dixon serves,
has been singing the song for
nearly two years.
Mr.. Dixon's catchy song was
arranged for barbershop quar-
tets in the latter part of 1854
by DIR. Harold w. Arberg,
soldier music advisor to the
Adjutant General. and director
of the Alexandria HarmonizerS,
prize-winning chorus of the
Alexandria chapter of the
Society for the Preservation
and Encouragement of Barber
shop Quartet Singing in Amer
ica., Inc. The Columbia Phi. d.
in music is recognized as one
of the foremost barbershop
quartet arrangers in the United
States.
DR.. Arberg's arrangement
of Mr.. Dixon's District Of
Columbia song was intro
duced in January, 1855. at
the Sertoma Clubs first
anniversary banquet in the
National Press Club ball
room. The Sertoma Quartet,
better known as the d. c. Keys.
a prize-winning foursome Of
the Mid-AtIantic States dis
trict of SPEBSQSA. has repre-
sented the washington chapter
since 1949, as well as Ser
toma Club in more recent
years, on several hundred
occasions locally.
They have sung Mr.. Dixon's
song in the fall Harvest Of
Harmony in Constitution Hall,
the areas major barbershop
concert. Recently they pre-
sented the number at the Rock
Greek Park Day program at
Carter Barron Amphitheater.
They also were called upon 70
sing it at the Christmas Pag-
cant Of Peace two years ago,
as well as at scores Of other
civic and club events.
To prove that the words
District Of Columbia" can be
sung, the Sertoma Quartet
win be glad TO demonstrate 70
the District Commissioners at
an appropriate time.
Sertoma Club has Endorsed
Sertoman DixOn's song as It's
ofhcisl Washington song. and
other clubs have followed Euit,
including the District Fedora
ton Of Women's Clubs. Club
women have fallen for the
song as rendered not only BY
the Sertoma Quartet but also
by the popular former operate
and concert star. Maria De Ia
Hull.
Edward z. Place,
Charter President. sertoma
Club 81 Warrington.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
WrongPorty

Last May I wrote you about
a mistake which The Star
made and you were kind
enough to acknowledge it.
You had referred to my Rep
resentative, Hon. Edward T.
Miller Of the First District of
Maryland, as q Democrat
when he is, and was, actually
a Republican. 1 pointed out
to you that those of us on the
Eastern Shore who had re-
elected him five times knew
his politics and were proud of
both him and them. Since
then he has been reelected a
sixth time by a handsome
margin. But the fact remains
that he is still a Republican.
On December 3 1 am read
ing my usual copy of the good
old Star and what do / see but
an article about the opening
of a new stretch Of highway
on the Eastern Shore. In it,
Mr.. Miller once again is re-
ferTed to as a Democrat. I
plead with you, lest the I'M
educated misunderstood, please
do something to rectify this
situation. l have nothing
against the Democrats that
vote continually for Mr.. Miller
as a man, but 1 still think
that he should be given credit
where it is due.
Robert E. Bauman.
(Mr. Miller's former page)
Editors Note: The Star re-
gretS crossing party lines)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
THE POLITICAL MILE
Electoral College Will Make 1t Official
BY GOULD LINCOLN

The presidential electors
the members of the electoral
college-in the 40 States will
meet on Monday and cast their
ballots for President and Vice
President Of the United States.
This will be the final step-the
actual reelection of President
Dwight d. Eisenhower and
Vice President Richard M.
Nixon. While under the Con-
stitutlon the electors are at
liberty to vote for anyone they
desire. custom and the laws in
some Of the States direct them
to vote for the nominees of
their political party. The cleo
toral votes will be canvassed by
Congress in joint session Janu-
airy Z, but the actual election
cannot be changed by Con-
gress, unless, indeed. it should
be found that no candidate for
President or Vice President
had received a majority of the
electoral votes. If the Presi-
dent, elected by the electoral
college vote. should die before
his term Of Office begins, the
Vice President so elected
would become President.
The electoral vote which will
be cast for President Eisen-
hover and for Vice President
Nixon will total 457 votes; for
Adlai Stevenson and Senator
Estes Kefauver of Tennessee,
"a. The Eisenhower Nixon
vote will come from Al States;
that for Stevenson and Ke-
fauver, Z. With this huge dis
crepancy, the election of Eisen-
hover and Nixon is as certain
as day follows night, unless one
Of them should die before the
presidential electors act on
Monday. In that event, the Re-
publican presidential electors
would be expected to vote for
candidates for either or both
offices selected by the Repub-
lican National Committee,
Washington UnOppOsed
George Washington remains
the only President Of the
United States who had no
opposing electoral votes cast
against him. Both times he
was elected, Washington had
them all. The President who
most closely Appropriated
that perfect record Of electoral
votes was James Monroe. in
1920. Only one electoral vote
was cast against him. Next
came Franklin D. Roosevelt in
1886, when he had 523 to 8 for
Alfred E. Landon, who carried
only Maine and Vermont. The
ratio of electoral votes-as be-
tween presidential candidates.
has no accurate relation to the
popular vote. For example, the
1886 Roosevelt popular vote
was 27,476.673 to 1879, 583, not
a 2-to-1 vote, although Roose-
welt had more than IS times as
many electoral votes as did
Landon. Roosevelt's popular
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Critical of Kent

Frank r. Kent's December
9 column, criticizing Adlai
Stevenson as having made an
unnecessary" statement in de-
claring he would not run again
for the presidency, was in poor
taste. Why such continuing
bitter condemnation of a
statesman like Mr.. Stevenson?
Is it that our present foreign
policy is so outstandingly bril-
liant as to leave no room for
constructive criticism by Mr..
Kent, or could it be such a dis
NAL failure that the familiar
technique Of cover-up would
be preferred? If Mr.. Steven
son is. indeed, as finished as
Mr.. Kent would have us be-
lieve, then what could be the
proper objective of Mr.. Kent's
continued vicious attacks?
August w. Reese.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13

vote in this election exceeded
that Of Landon by 1O,797, 900,
the greatest plurality q presi-
Dental candidate ever.received.
However, there have been
other large and impressive VIC
tories. For example, Warren
G. Harding defeated James M.
Cox in 1920. receiving 404 cleo
toral votes to 127 for his DEM
ocratic opponent. Harding's
popular vote was 1852, 200
and Cox's 9.147,355, the great
est percentage Of the total
major party vote cast in any
of the presidential contests in
this century - including the
Hoover, the Roosevelt and the
Eisenhower victories.
President Eisenhower's pop
ular vote has not been an
nounced. but it is expected the
total will run over IS million,
and SteVenson's more than rs
million, with Eisenhower's plu-
rality something less than 10
million.
Change Long Sought
For years, leading Democrats
and Republicans have rallied
against the electoral college,
insisting it is fifth wheel in
the elective process for Presi-
dents. Many proposals have
been made to do away with it.
But nothing has been done
about it. AS originally in
tended. it was to have q free
hand in picking Presidents
there was to be no direct cleo
ton of Presidents and Vice
Presidents. With the strength
ening of political parties, how
ever, the scheme of things has
changed. Some Of the political
leaders have demanded q di-
rect election of Presidents.
with or without the system Of
electoral votes now in force for
the individual States. It has
been contended that this cleo
toral vote system was all
wrong, that the popular votes
only should be counted, with
out regard to State lines. Or
that the proportion Of the pop
ular vote cast for a candidate
should determine the electoral
vote he should receive in each
State.
Always some element Of OPP
position has arisen to prevent
a change in the old system.
The closest call it has ever
mad came when the Senate
agreed to the Lodge-Gos-
sett constitutional amendment
which would have provided for
proportional division Of the
electoral vote in each State
measured by the popular vote.
The amendment failed, how
ever, in the House. The late
Senator Robert A. Taft Of Ohio
strongly opposed the change,
holding that under such a sys-
tenn, a Republican President
could never be elected as long
as the South remained over
Whelmingly Democratic.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13

craft were on order and a
production goal of 20 per
month would soon be attained.
ca Although the B-52-like
any aircraft-has indeed Suf-
fered the usual delays in get
ting into service, two units
now use this airplane opera
tionally. They are the 93d
Bomb Wing at Castle Air
Force Base, California, and the
42d Bomb Wing at Loring
Field, Maine.
1t might be interesting to
note, in connection with the
revived B-52 controversy, that
a British magazine recently
reported the Soviets are pro-
ducing SIS bombers of the B-52
class per month.
Robert F. DOrr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
Hove ] FOroOtten?

The last bright bali Is hung,
the tinSeI star
Has a Ddlidnt oLoio and minia-
ture angels grace
The cotton clouds: the dolls,
the tor guitar
Are cToUded round. say,
There Is no Space.
No room for more. nv UordS
so lightly uttered
Cling 10 their echoed tone.
Oh. could II be
That ! haze fashioned an TIM
50 fun. 80 clHtteTed
There Is no room7 Have !
forgotten Thee7
Monon Leonard
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13

as time goes by, unless one is
what is called a compulsive
eater. and this is something
else again.
Another way Of cutting down
on ones intake is to eat fewer
meals.
This works beautifully, il one
has the will power not to make
up at two meals for three
meals.
A well-known doctor-he Is
retired now-said that he
never ate more than two meals
a day. He was so busy during
the middle Of the day that
actually he did not have time
for lunch.
4 40
The photographer mentioned
says he has no feeling Of lack,
no "all gone" feeling without
MS evening meal.
We asked him how he
came to adopt this system.
and he said he found that he
simply didn't want anything
to eat in the evening.
The trouble comes when one
really does want TO eat!
Probably for such persons,
the mo breakfast" plan OF
several years ago will be help
full. There is one type Of per-
son who finds he lacks appetite
for the morning meal. hence
usually takes only coffee or
maybe orange juice. 1t is not
a satisfying meal, however, and
runs counter TO the best ad-
vice Of modern nutritionists
especially for school children
and adults who go downtown
to work.
There is OF course, no law
which says one must eat three
times a day. Animals seldom
do. They often get along very
well on one meal a day.
Probably most human beings
could. too. and think Of all
the dish washing 1t would save!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13

1t is unfortunate that
Thomas L. Stokes, in his COL
umn December l, so far wan
dered from his usual high
standard as to accept stray
allegations that labor officials
misrepresented the views of
union members during the
recent election.
In making their Endorsement
Of a presidential candidate in
the recent national elections.
the leaders Of the AFL-CIO
did not pretend they were
speaking for "all their mem
bers." Rather they made it
abundantly clear then and
later that they were making
a recommendation to the
members Of the labor move
ment which could be accepted
or rejected as the individuals
conscience dictated.
That their recommendation
was in accordance with the
view Of the substantial ma
jority Of the members of the
labor movement is evident
from the election returns,
which show, in those wards
and precincts in which labor
union members live, a vote
Of between IS per cent and
20 per cent for the recon-
mended candidate.
Very few elected officials in
the United States can say
that they represent that much
Of a majority Of their con-
Stituents.
1t might be added that it is
precisely because the duly
elected spokesman Of the
American workers do repre-
sent the views Of their con-
stituentS TO that degree. that
it is no longer necessary for
Columnist Stokes and other
newspaper reporters to seek
them out in the garrets and
cubbyholes Of the backwash
Of American life.
James L. McDevitt,
C0director, AFL-CIO Com
mittee on Political Edu-
cation
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-13
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

How many meals a day
should a person eat?
Monkeys eat all the time, but
people are supposed to be
people.
So usually they eat but three
meals a day. If American; five
or more, if British: heaven
knows how many, if French.
All peoples have their Gus
toms in this matter, and here
is the latest:
A movement is gaining
ground in Washington to eat
only two meals a day.
A high powered photogra-
pher is a member of the cult,
for one.
He eats breakfast and lunch,
no dinner.
Another adherent eats no
breakfast. but has luncheon
and dinner.
y
Many people in a hurry, in
Guiding Government girls, ac-
tually eat only two meals a day,
their breakfasts are so skinny.
A cup of hot coffee, poured
down in a few seconds, can
, scarcely be called a breakfast.
1t is not much more if a
doughnut is added.
Today's best food science
calls for the big breakfast.
preferably the high protein
breakfast, which means at
least two eggs. a glass of milk,
and maybe cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese for break
fast?
Why not2
Since the Department OF
Agriculture put it firmly on
the American menu a number
Of years ago. this is one of the
fastest growing items in our
dietery.
Usually it is treated as a
salad, but there is no law about
1t.
This cheese contains a
whopping protein content. and
should go as well for breakfast
as any other meal, especially
If eaten with fruit.
In fact, a modern "blitz" diet
calls for cottage cheese and
canned peaches. a tasty meal
in itself. and packing about
14S grams Of protein a day.
To get this much protein
with meat, one would have 70
put away several beefstesks
three times In "a hours. at
least, and then have a few
grams TO make up with milk.
FEs
There is no Law, really. about
how many meals one should
eat In a day.
Our eating habits come down
to US over the centuries.
We eat the way we do be-
cause our ancestors did. II is
all custom.
In other parts Of the world,
they eat as they please. TOO.
Over here, we eat q good deal
because We have the food and
the money 20 buy II.
Many consumers fnd out,
however. as they grow older.
that they cannot continue their
childhood and teen-age habits
Of eating without some harm
TO themselves.
This hurt may be in poor
digestion. or a clogged Up state
Of mind, for the physical body
and the mental mind. II they
may put that way. are very
close together.
II Is only natural 70 eat lsGs