davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Undermined Police Force

AS Police Chief Murray pointed out
to House Appropriations subcommittee,
figures on police strength can be very
misleading. For example, it is erroneous
to assume that the District of Columbia
is being patroled every day by a force of
2,24O policemen, which is the average
daily strength of the Metropolitan Police
Department. Actually, the average num-
Der of officers available on one shift for
detection and prevention of crime is 327.
This handful of patrolmen and detectives
is pitted against formidable array of
big-city criminals, hoodlums and juvenile
delinquents. That is why Chief Murray's
request for an enlarged force does not
seem unreasonable.
The department now has an author
lied strength of 2,278 men. But because
of insufficient funds due to unappro-
priatedfor expenses, the payroll must be
kept to about 2,240 policemen. OF this
number, about 845 are off duty each day,
either because of the f1ve-day week or
because of leave, sickness, etc. Approx
mately 345 are assigned to administrative
duties of one sort or another. Approx
mately Sc are in court or on other special
details. That leaves a daily average of
974 men on street patrols, scout car
assignments and variety of investiga-
lions related to crimes committed, man
hunts, etc. And this front-line force
must be divided into three shifts, to pro-
vide protection around the clock.
BY standards of the National Asso-
citation of Chiefs of Police and other law
enforcement groups, Washington should
have minimum of $500 policemen. 1t
would cost about 81 million a year to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Picture Tells Story

On February 20, The Star
printed four pictures showing
President Eisenhower explain
ing to the Nation his decision
to run. In these pictures. Mr..
Eisenhower is standing in front
of a painting called "The
Spires of Riga" Copies of this
issue of The Star have been
sent to Latvlans all over the
United States. in Australia and
in Europe. For Latvians. there
is a story behind these pictures.
Some years ago, Latvian i'm
migrants in the United States
gave this painting to President
Eisenhower as a gesture of
gratitude for the opportunities
they have received since arriv-
ing in this country. rhe paint
ing. 1.-THE Spires of Riga" Riga
is the capital of Latvia), vas
done by Professor Ludolfs Lib
erts. former professor at the
Latvian State Academy of Art,
now an escape himself. Prof.
Liberts lives in New York and
works as demonstration for a
paint company.
There are some $4,000 Lat
VANS in the United States.
About 400 of them live in the
Washington area.
Alexander LaubertS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
In the Spring.

Romance always has special appeal
In springtime-and it will be spring very
soon now. And for Washington there is
quite naturally special appeal in Mar
garet Truman's romance. For Margaret
lived among us for rather long time,
growing up from popular teen-ager to
a career woman in the world of music
and entertainment Margaret had many
beaux and there were many stories link
ing her Economically with one or another.
Now she has made her choice-Clifton
Daniel, jr, a newspaperman who has
worked here and abroad Her father and
mother, former President and Mrs Tru-
man, are Every happy" about it. We join
many others in extending congratulations
to the young couple.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
New Hampshire Votes

The New Hampshire primary voters
have given leaders of both the Repub-
lican and Democratic Parties something
to think about. For they did more yes
terday than simply register their clear
preference for President Eisenhower as
the G. o. P. nominee and for Senator
Kefauver as the Democratic choice
While giving Mr.. Eisenhower nearly
$4,000 votes in a virtually uncontested
race, the New Hampshire Republicans
went to unexpected and unprecedented
pains to show that they ''like Nixon"
With the Vice Presidents name not on
the ballot, more than $4,000 of the voters
wrote it in as their choice for Mr.. EiSen-
hower's running mate this fall. There
had been no openly organized campaign
for Mr. Nixon and New Hampshire poll
tical observers admitted to impressed
surprise at the apparently spontaneous
support for the Vice President. BY con-
trast, only few hundred bothered to
express their preference for Gov. Herter
of nearby Massachusetts,, often men,
toned as possible successor to Mr..
Nixon on the national ticket. New Hamp-
shire is small State and it is early yet
in the campaign, but Mr. Nixon's pros
poets must look brighter.
In the Democratic race, Senator
Kefauver took it ALL With Adlai Steven
sons name not on the ballot, he received
only a small Write-in vote against nearly
10000 recorded for the Tennessean.
More significant, perhaps, was the poor
showing made by the pro-Stevenson slate
of convention delegates. The Kefauver
ticket won all IL convention places. De-
spite Mr.. Stevenson's official aloofness
from the New Hampshire test, he had
friends working for him in the State.
Their lack of success, and this new show
ing of Mr. Kefauver's political appeal, no
doubt will be studied carefully by the
Democratic Party chieftains
An even more revealing showdown be-
tween these two candidates is scheduled
in Minnesota next week. Both are OFF,
cially entered, with the State Democratic
organization backing Mr. Stevenson.
Anything less than clear Stevenson
victory there could be disastrous to his
whole campaign for the nomination.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14

increase the local force to that strength,
however, and the fiscal plight of the city
is such that any substantial expansion
of the police force or any other depart
ment would impose a serious burden on
the taxpayers. At the least, however,
Congress should provide enough money
to maintain the forces at the present
authorized strength. To require the de-
partment to maintain some so vacancies
in order to absorb certain unappropri-
ated-for costs (such as terminal leave
pay, step increases and Government in
surance) is unfair to the force and risky
from the law enforcement standpoint.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
To q March Oak

You should release your old
dried Leaves,
For you hare held them far
too long.
What aDill you do Dhen neD
ledpes start
With Spring-SDeet notes of
the robins song?
There DdS no sleet to break the
stems,
The ,Dinter was too mild
too kind
Like a languorous ease of Huing
that
Retdrds the thinking of the
mind.
Had the blizzard ripped your
branches bare
You aDould hare gained
although outfought.
For dead ledDeS are like dead
dreams to block
The coming OF netu life-new
4 thought.
Florence Morie Taylor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Mass Delinquency

Your reporter, Harry BacaS,
retelling of the wanton and
unreasonable attack of a resi-
dent of Mount Rainier last
March Is, 1855, ought to instill
in the heart Of every respon-
sible person, young and old
alike, desire of correcting
this juvenile madness.
The thought has been often
expressed that people, and the
world in general, changed
completely after World War I.
irresponsible young people to-
day sum up their disdainful
attitude and thoughtlessness
when confronted by RESPONSE
BILE persons, whether parents
or the authorities. by a shrug
of the shoulders, blank look
and the all-too-familiar an
swer, Il dunno"
This mass mania invading
our homes, schools, every
phase Of our daily lives, will
certainly, in the years to come,
if not now curbed, influence
the destiny of this Nation.
Growing up is a process that
we all go through, it is a prob
lem too for young people all
over the world. With all the
billions we have spent and will
continue to spend, whether in
kindness or to show American
ism to all the world, the prob
lem of bringing up our chill
dren is one that is peculiar to
us. In many parts of the
world children become young
men and women when they
reach the ages of Is or 10.
They have their education be-
hind them and already know
the responsibility of being
breadwinners. True, other
lands have their juvenile
delinquents, but certainly their
numbers are comparatively
few and the backgrounds to-
tally different. 1t is this back
ground wherein, I believe, lies
most of the ills fomenting the
restlessness of our youth today.
A reappraisal will show that
with the finest homes, best Of
schools, more income per cap
ita than any other nation on
earth, therein lies not the an
swer to our problem. The an
swer, so simple and down to
earth, is Stunned by too many
families as a whole. There
exists to all too great an ex-
tent. no family as a whole.
That elusive closeness and
understanding. that certain
belonging. all blend in to a re-
sponsible behavior pattern.
1t is only fair to our major
ity of fine young people that
everyone who is interested in
the preservation of our great
country. must make it his
solemn duty to show more in
terest in his immediate family
circle, from which stems our
great Nation.
Louis G. Gernand.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Bricker Amendment

The Stars editorial OF March
T., denouncing the new pro-
posed Bricker Amendment,
says that the treaty-making
procedure spelled out in the
Constitution has worked we'll
for more than 100 years, and
that 1t has not been abused.
You say nothing about in
ternational agreements made
by a President. For example,
the Teheran, Yalta and Pots
dam understandings" made
without congressional consent,
nevertheless treaties in all but
name. The three branches of
Government, executive. legis-
lative. and judicial. are in
creasingly encroaching upon
each other, and only by con-
stitutional amendment clearly
defining their limits can it be
stopped. The Constitution pro-
vides a method for its amend
ment, and the people should be
permitted to vote on a pro-
posed change. To deny them
that right smacks of Dictator
ship.
w. III. Shields.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Politics and Demogoguery'

Two Democratic Senators, frankly
differing in their attitudes toward the
rigid VS.. flexible price support theories
of aiding the Nations farmers, have
joined in warning their colleagues
against continuing efforts to bring the
issue back into the farm bill debate. BY
an Unexpectedly wide margin last week,
the Senate voted against restoration Of
the high, rigid support formula. Yet the
time consuming fight was started all
over again on Monday with an amend
ment providing for rigid supports on
crop loans up to $4,000. The proposal
was defeated, again, but the incident
prompted Chairman Ellender of the
Senate Agriculture Committee-who has
favored the high support plan-to charge
lousy politics (and) pure demagoguery"
in the Senate's behavior. He warned,
Furthermore, that unless progress on the
legislation is speeded up it will bring no
benefits to the farmers this year at all.
Senator Anderson of New Mexico, a
staunch supporter of the flexible sup
port formula, Endorsed. the Louisianans
position.
The farm issue has been the number
one political football for months. It
probably will retain that rank during
the months of campaigning between now
and November. The pending legislation
represents great effort from both sides of
the party aisle, and considerable COM
promise, toward helping depressed
segment of the national economy. In
terminable delay in it's enactment, as
now threatened, will hurt the farmers
flrst-and is not likely to help those
responsible for the wasted time. Mr..
Ellender and Mr.. Anderson were fully JUS
titled in urging that the Senate get on
with the business
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

You had to take time, 20
slow, doing such a job, be-
cause if you hurried, the gold
paper logged, and the slip
spoiled the whole thing. T..
4 X ~
1t was a simple personal
demonstration of what was the
matter with ones handwriting.
Every one has experienced
the difficulty of being able to
read ones own notes.
You scrawl, and then can't
read the scrawl, just guess
at it.
Mostly this makes no differ
ence, but now and then 1t
may be serious.
The answer is to go slow.
Taking ones time to cor
rect ones faults is a good idea,
because it also helps calm
down the hectic pace in every
thing.
Today's pace is today's pace.
The rate of speed of different
centuries is interesting. There
are living today many men,
and maybe women. who really
are 18th century. people.
To them. 1t is easier to 60
slow than to 60 fast.
Maybe there are even 18th
century people now alive, or
even 18th century. who can
say?
There has been so much
talking about Johnny not being
able to read, one may wonder
If he can write. too?
How is Johnny's handwrit-
ing?
Can the little fellow put
down his thoughts so that
others can understand, not
only what he writes, but the
very letters themselves?
Good handwriting, at any
age, is a sort of art, one which
people in the old days took
great pride.
There were several styles of
handwriting, perhaps the most
famous being the Spencerian.
This was the fine flowing
hand" people talked about.
Then there was a bold, cop
per plate type of handwriting,
composed of long lines and
large scrolls.
This was always used on
public documents.
Most people prided themselves
on their way of writing, and
took plenty of time about it.
We would all do well. now
adays, to think about this mat
ter, now and then, and to take
steps to correct what the spirit
of the time and the hurrying
years are doing to us.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Silent Riders

So our Commissioners have
decided that the streetcars
must go. Commissioner Lane
has stated that public opin-
ion should not be considered"
in connection with this mat
ter. If Commissioner Lane has
been quoted correctly, may it
not be assumed that his col
leagues share the same feel
ing? In brief, doesn't it ap-
pear that such an attitude
savors of a "public-be-
damned" policy?
AS things stand, 1t seems
that thousands of District
residents who use the street.
cars daily are to be deprived
of the safety and comfort that
type of transportation pro-
vides, without consideration of
their opinion.
Could there be any genuine
doubt that public opinion is
very important in this situa-
ton and that statements to
the contrary are strictly out
of order and unjustified?
We know that streetcars are
safer and more comfortable,
even when crowded, than
buses. and certainly they in
terfere far less with traffic. AS
to whether streetcars are more
expensive to operate, there
seems to be contrary opinions.
It seems to this writer that
public opinion is of utmost
Importance In the considera-
ton of the entire matter. In
any event, there must be many
citizens who disagree with the
reported attitude of Commits
sioner Lane. After all, how
can it be said that those who
use the city's transit system
should not have a great deal
to say about the retention or
abandonment of streetcars
and that their opinion should
be given great consideration?
Should Commissioner Lane
not be requested to clarity his
reported statements?
c. E. MacEachran
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14

But there are three important
differences. With cigarette
smoking each of us has a free
choice. In radiation of certain
kinds, such as that from bomb
fall-outS, no such individual
choice is possible. In the case
of cigarettes the individual
who elects to take a risk pays
the penalty himself if he loses.
With radiation his descendants
suffer. After Exposure to ciga-
retteS the species can recover
in a single generation if a mis-
take is made. After exposure
to radiation it would take
thousands of years. The con-
clusion is clear that from a
genetic standpoint the ex-
posure of human beings to
high energy radiation should
be kept as low as possible. It
makes no difference whether
it comes from weapons of war
or from peacetime uses"
Reproduction Question
Will an increase in heredi-
tary damage endanger the sur
vival of the species? DR..
Beadle asks.
ut all depends on the mag
nitude," he answers himself.
With a 10 per cent increase
in number of genetic changes
the answer is almost surely no.
We do not know how great an
exposure it would take to con-
stitute such a danger but it
would have to be several hun
dred times higher than the
present background for a very
large fraction of the human
population"
In population of constant
size, DR.. Beadle stresses. any
increase in frequency of here
ditary mutations is counter
balanced to some extent by the
fact that persons inheriting
these mutations are more apt
to die before reproducing their
kind, or produce smaller fam
lilies if they live.
Many deaths as a result Of
such mutations, he says, will
be miscarriages. There will be
many still births. Those who
succeed in being born alive
are quite likely to be physical
weaklings or social misfits who
will never marry.
The fact remains, he
stresses, that others will re-
duce the efficiency of individ-
uals only slightly and in ways
which will not be obvious.
Only a few will produce visibly
defective individuals. There
will be still fewer so-called
monsters"
But 1t is these slight defects
which constitute the greatest
danger for, once implanted in
the germ plasm of the race,
they may remain there for
hundreds of generations. Thus
they will constitute permanent
racial defects.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
WSTAS IN SCIENCE
Long Range Look at Radiation S Effects
By THOMAS r. HENRY

Whatever dam zee tn {
human race is getting from
radiation-due to bomb test
explosions or any other cause
will persist for many gen.
erations.
In fact. the greater part of
it may not be apparent for
generations. Regardless of its
intrinsic seriousness, the warn
ing is clear to keep exposure of
human beings as low as pos
sible.
This is stressed in a report
to the Office of Naval Research
by the president Of the Ameri-
can Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, DR..
George w. Beadle of California
Institute of Technology. He is
one of the foremost living
authorities on genetics.
Depends on Mass Exposure
Admittedly, DR.. Beadle says,
any predictions of long range
genetics effects on the human
species are subject to a wide
margin of error because there
are still so many unknown
factors.
1.-THE total genetic effect on
q population will depend on
what might be called popula-
ton exposure" he says. Thus
a large exposure to a few in
dividuals may have the same
effect on the population as a
whole as does a smaller ex-
posure to a much larger popu-
lation. An exposure of 1000
individuals to Is radiation
units for a year constitutes
$4,000 units to the population
to which they belong. But an
exposure of only a tenth of a
unit to the entire population
of our Nation is roughly Is
million units in terms of total
genetic effect and will have
1000 times as much genetic
effect on population.
IF the bomb testing pro-
gram continues at its present
level or even if it is accelerated
considerably it is unlikely that
in 20 years individuals will
have received an average of
over two units of radiation
over and above that from
natural causes, such as cosmic
rays. This exposure continued
for generations might raise the
number of children born in
the United States each year
with new hereditary changes
by a factor of about 10 per
cent, or something like 5000
individuals. For the world as
q whole the figure would be
Is times this. The figures are
rough estimates only.
1.-THE danger to any one in
dividual is negligibly small. 1t
is perhaps comparable to the
danger of lung cancer from
smoking cigarettes, assuming
that such danger does exist.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
Crisis in Schools

Crisis In Schools" series by
James G. Deane is excellent.
But how much of this did the
teachers bring on themselves?
For how many years have we
heard Don't teach your child
at home. Leave it to the teach
ers." The majority of parents
do not feel themselves to be
morons and when a pre-school
child shows desire and readi-
ness for learning, it is the
parents job to start it. We
know our .children much
better than a first grade teach
err does, and certainly parents
can make those first few
months much easier for a
teacher. rather than having
to assume a hands-off at
titude when it comes to teach
ing.
Teachers do not give
parents a chance to know
their child's achievements or
failures. Parent-teacher con-
ferences or reports are too far
apart and too few. Why
shouldn't parents feel like
coaches instead of criminals
if we dare to peek in the
school book and sneak off and
buv some?
Let's get the educators to
cooperate with the parents.
and our children can reach
the standards of old and beat
the achievements of those of
other nations.
Mrs. Elvie- E. Unsworth.
y II u X
In all the discussion of our
currently poor education as
compared with that of so or so
years ago Il was there), I have
seen no factual comparison be-
tween the periods in terms of
money spent per pupil and the
pupil-teacher ratio.
Figures of the United States
Office of Education show that
in 1900 the average national
daily attendance of pupils per
teacher was Is and in 1850 it
was "a. If we are confronted
with 80 to 40 per teacher in
basic classes, it would appear
that the cause is not shortage
of teachers, but diverting
teachers from basic subjects to
non-essential frills. ..
Between 1900 and 1850 the
average salary of teachers in
creased a little over 10 times.
Pay of teachers would seem to
be adequate. especially when
they are not producing results.
Annual expenditure per pu-
pill, other than teachers SAL
aries. increased over II times
between 1900 and 1850. There
fore the physical facilities
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14

@. Where are the tests made
of the flowers and vegetables
chosen for the All-American
awards?-H. L. F.
A. The selections are grown
in 48 trial gardens scattered
over the United States and
Canada. Here they are scored
by different judges over a
period of weeks at various
stages of growth. Reports
are then sent to headquarters
at Harrisburg. Pa. Only those
plants which show overall
well-being make the grade.
Every effort Ia made to insure
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
A tip to older people:

A tip to older people:
Take more care with your
handwriting.
1t is very easy to let it degen-
crate as one goes through the
years.
Everybody does so.
A little determination to
keep the lines and letters and
dots and crossings correct, and
one can achieve much.
The writer here is a great
offender in this respect. He is
in a hurry, and scrawls. The
fact that everybody does it is
no excuse, really.
All it takes is
Well, what it takes is a sort
OF secret. and here it is:
Go slow.
\ 4 X
Slowness. itself, is against
all the tenets of this age.
We all hurry when we walk,
hurry when we ride, and tend
to hurry when we eat.
The accent is on speed.
The blare of automobile adj
vertisements is on more and
more powerful engines.
People race here, there and
everywhere, and when they
get there, wherever it is, they
turn right around and race
back as quickly as they can.
The Roman poet, Lucretius,
who wrote about atoms 1000
years ago, tells us of the
hurrying Romans.
Those who owned chariots,
the autos of their day, raced
out along the Appian way, and
the poet wondered, why they
raced so, because they turned
right around and raced back
to town again, he said.
x X X
The secret of good hand
writing, whether one is young
or old. is to take your time.
We learned this at Christ
mas time, with gift of one of
these plastic cases to carry
papers and books in.
The case had small paper
Of gilt with it.
You applied the small paper,
and held it down while you
traced your name on the case
with a ballpoint pen.
The gold came off on the
case, and there you were, very
nice and neat.
The amazing thing was that
the handwriting was as good
as ever!
The years dropped away,
and there was ones high
school signature, or better, the
way one used to write at ones
best.