davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Mr.. Kennedy Moves Up

The rising political star of youthful
Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, has
received another upward thrust with his
nomination to a place on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. Long con-
sidered one of the high prestige commit
tees in the Congress, the Importance Of
the Senate foreign relations body has
increased greatly in recent years. AS
signment to it of first-term Senator
as is Mr.. Kennedy-is an unusual indi-
cation of party leadership approval.
There is no question that the 39S
year-old New England Democrat is we'll
qualified for the post. During three
earlier terms in the House and for the
past two years in the Senate he has
demonstrated an active and intelligent
interest in foreign affairs and in the de-
" opment of American foreign policy.
III has supported foreign aid and the
Western policy Of alliances against Com
mlnist aggression, and has opposed the
Bricker amendment to limit the treaty
making powers of the President. He has
written and spoken on foreign policy,
outei,.e the Congress as we'll as in. He has
lived abroad and has Travelled extern
sively in recent years seeking greater
acquaintance with foreign problems.
Aside from these qualifications there
are, ofhcourse, political Implications in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Panama and Suez

Our all-important co-opera-
ton with the British in this
tempestuous era obviously de-
mands understanding. yet.
even with our Panama Canal to
think about. we show amazing
ly little understanding Of Brit
aims position and action at
Suez. Have we forgotten that
we have no more actual
sovereignty over Panama than
Britain has over Egypt?
1t is, of course. too late to
undo the grave mischief Of our
urging the British out Of Suez
a year ago, and then letting
them down when the unques-
toned imminence of a third
world war caused them to
return their armed forces to
Suez and put the quietus on
the Israeli-Egyptian shooting.
But 1t is not too late to adj
NIT the magnitude Of our fol-
ly, and to recognize that right
and common sense are on
Britain's side.
1t might help If we imagined
some Peron-like dictator loom
ing overnight on the Panama
front. blasting the canal locks.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13

the assignment. With the traditional ad-
vantage of seniority, Senator Kefauver
was Mr.. Kennedy's unsuccessful rival for
the committee job. At last summers
party convention, the Tennessean edged
out Mr.. Kennedy for the vice presidential
nomination but the latter's Unexpectedly
strong showing marked him as one to be
reckoned with in 1860. Mr.. Kefauver
showed considerable vote winning ability,
particularly in the rural areas, and he
certainly cannot be considered out of the
running in 1860 In this context of intra-
party rivalry, however, the preference
shown by the Democratic Senate Steering
Committee for Mr.. Kennedy seems par
ticularly significant The young Bay
Slater is being given chance to build
himself up during the next three and
one-half years, while Mr.. Kefauver has
been pointedly passed over by the party
leaders in the Senate.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Witnesses Beliefs

The United States Court of Appeals,
in two significant rulings, has held that
the First Amendment cannot be invoked
to shield witnesses who refuse to answer
legitimate congressional inquiries. Both
cases involved challenges of the right of
congressional committees to investigate
the "beliefs and associations" of sus-
pected Communists. Appellate Judges
Bastian, Burger and Washington were
unanimous in striking down such con-
tentionS
The recalcitrant witnesses were Lloyd
Barenblatt, former faculty member at the
University of Michigan and VaSSar Col
lege, and Harry Sacher, prominent New
York defense attorney in Communist
causes. Both had refused, on First
Amendment grounds, to answer questions
concerning their alleged Red associations.
They charged that the congressional
committees had no right to question
them las Professor Barenblatt put it)
about my political beliefs, my religions
beliefs, any other personal and priv;
affairs, my aSsociational activities"
The court disposed of this argument
with the succinct statement: Though
we, of course, agree that Congress does
not have general power to inquire into
political beliefs and associations, 1t does
have that power where the answer to
the question posed can be and is regarded
by Congress as having value in the exer-
else of legislative duty. Congress can
legislate on the internal security dangers
1t has declared to have arisen from the
activities Of the Communist Party in this
country. It can and 1t has,"
Other grounds also we're cited by both
defendants in their fight to overturn con-
tempt convictions by lower courts, but
these were largely Of technical nature
and all were rejected by the appellate
judges. There are indications that the
decisions will be appealed to the Supreme
Court. But Judge Bastian, in the Barren
blatt case, pointed out that the high
court, in Quinn v. the United States,
implied that Congress has the right to
inquire into private affairs Of witnesses
when the investigation is related to "a
valid legislative purpose" And, Judge
BaStian said on behalf of the court,
private affairs" include "of course polit-
ical views and associations" The deci-
SionS in the two cases, If they stand up,
will provide much-needed Qualification
of the dispute which has centered on the
power of Congress to investigate and the
asserted right of witnesses to remain
silent under the assumed protection Of
the First Amendment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
THE GAME OF POLITICS
o., EDAAH HEkIT
Examining the Eisenhower Doctrine
By FRANK r. KENT

The belief Of most observers
in Washington is that, despite
Democratic dominance in both
branches. sooner or later the
Presidents request for con-
gressional backing Of his plan
to block Soviet aggression in
the Middle East will be given
by a large majority-and long
before the session is over.
This will not be in accord
with the wishes of the So
called Democratic Advisory
Committee or of the Ameri-
cans for Democratic Action.
These, Of course, are not i'm
portant either in Senate or
House-or for that matter,
anywhere else. But they often
make more noise and get more
publicity than the whole
legislative branch combined.
There. Of course, will be
plenty of articulate opposition.
At the moment, however, it
does not seem likely to be par
ticularly effective. For one
thing, the chief figures oppos-
ing the Eisenhower Doctrine"
are the Messrs. Adlai Steven
son and Estes Kefauver, vigor-
ously supported by their sin
gularly unsuccessful manager
in the recent campaign. Chair
man Paul Butler of the Demo-
cratic National Committee. 1t
is interesting to note that
neither these gentlemen, nor
the New Deal-Fair Deal col
umnists and commentators al
lied with them, have any Spe-
cific substitute to propose. Be-
fore the election the Demo-
cratic candidates and their
journalistic and radio spokes-
men were violent in their de-
nunciation of the President for
his lack of a Mideast policy.
They accused him and his Sec
rotary of State of lacking
courage to deal with an ex-
ceedingly grave situation.
Didn't Seek Added Powers
Well, after the election and
following the Soviet bru-
talization in Hungary and the
intransigent attitude Of the
Soviet-supported Nasser in
closing the Suez Canal, the
President not only evolved a
concrete policy but promptly
presented it to Congress for
Endorsement. He did not ask
for powers which he did not
already have. In effect, he
said that in the event of fur
ther Russian aggression in the
Mideast. it would be in the in
terests Of this Nation to halt
it by both military and eco
nomic aid. He also expressed
his conviction that an un-
equivocal statement of our po-
Sition was the best way to
avert war and promote world
peace. There is, said Mr.. Eli
senhower. a risk for US in this
stand but there is a far greater
risk if we do not take it.
If one can judge from the
million majority with
which the American people
recently reelected him, plus
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Danger in Outer Space

In discussing disarmament in his
Standardization message, President
Eisenhower had these words to say: 1--WE
are willing to enter any reliable agree
ment which would mutually control
the outer space missile and satellite
development"
Never before have such types of
actual or potential weapons been men,
toned in any of the plans submitted by
our own or other governments to the
United Nations. And SO it is of more than
passing significance that the President
has seen fit to mention them now.
The mere fact that he has done this
suggests two things, among others: ~
That the intercontinental ballistic missile,
the so-called ICBM, is close to becoming
an operating reality, if it is not already
here; and (2) that artificial earth satel-
Htes, the little man-made moons which
we intend to launch for purely scientific
reasons during this International Geo.
physical Year, have immense military
potentialitieS.
To appreciate the meaning of the
ICBM, we have only to keep in mind that
the missile would be at least theoreti-
cally capable of travelling to its target,
with amazing accuracy, at a speed in
excess of 10000 miles an hour Equipped
with an atomic or hydrogen bomb war;
head, it could obliterate any city in the
world within matter of minutes after
being fired from its launching site. AS
for the earth satellites, the ones we are
going to unleash will rise to an altitude
of between 200 and 800 miles, and they
will then move in fixed orbit up there
for days or weeks circumnavigating the
globe at speed of $4,000 miles an hour.
The ICBM'S military possibilities are
self-evident, and if we let our magma
tons dwell upon the artificial satellites,
we may not be far wrong if we visualize
them as the forerunnerS of space plat
forms" or interplanetary warships or
h-deStroying coSmic weapons or de-
Tense bases anchored in the heavens far
above the atmosphere. We are living in
an age when it is no longer silly or
unrealistic to reckon with such things.
In fact, so much that was once re-
garded as sheer fantasy is now so real
that there is every reason for the world
to take most seriously the Presidents call
for reliable agreement" to control
missiles and satellites. Of course, given
Soviet obstructionism, such an agreement
may be far more easily advocated than
achieved, but mankind, without it. will
have to look skyward with an ever
growing sense of insecurity and fear.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Mideost Critic

After reading Dean AcheSon's state
ment on the Presidents MideaSt plan.
we are not sure whether he was indulg-
Ing in lawyer-like forensic exercise:
whether, having been on the receiving
end himself for so many years, he was
enjoying the opportunity to take few
pot shots at the political opposition, or
whether he was being entirely serious.
Possibly he was doing all three. But we
cannot see where his statement will be
OF much help in arriving at sound Mid
east policy.
The former Secretary of State COM
plains that the Presidents proposal is
vague and uncertain, which it is But
we cannot see wherein the suggestions
put forward by Mr.. Acheson are less vague
or more certain.
In one breath, he goes back to the
time of Thomas Jefferson to suggest that
President, without any congressional
action, has ample power to use the armed
forces to protect the vital interests of the
United States. In the next, he takes
sharp issue with Secretary Dulles view
that the nature and scope of military
action which might be taken in event of
Communist attack on the Middle East
are matters which inevitably have to be
left to the judgment of the Commander
in Chief"
Mr.. Acheson chideS the President for
saying that his program will not solve
all the problems of the Middle East" In
his opinion, this is "the outstanding
understatement of 1857" But how would
Mr.. Acheson solve all the problems of
the Middle East?
First, he would pull the rug from
under Colonel Nasser by getting Congress
to instruct the administration to have
the United States supply Europe's petro-
leum needs and pay the excess costs of
dollar OIL" Then he suggests that Con-
greSS should declare it to be American
policy to favor construction of an oil pipe
line "in an area under the administration
and protection of the United Nations"
He does not specify what area he has in
mind or from which nations territory it
would be taken.
Finally, he turns to the problem of
Israeli-Arab relations and the mutual
fears and hatreds which eomplicate them.
Mr.. Acheson would deal with this by
having the United States assume respon-
sibility for getting established, under
writing and supporting with force an
international agreement for preventing
government-supporte raiding, as we'll as
attacks, either way, by taking over re-
sponsbility for such punishment by way
of retaliation or otherwise as might be
necessary"
This is quite an order 1t would put
Uncle Sam in the role of Self-appointed
policeman of the Middle East, and Mr..
Acheson, in a notable 1857 understate-
ment of his own, acknowledges that the
announcement of such policy might
be unpopular in some quarters"
We think it would be an act of folly.
In some respects, we share Mr.. AcheSon's
misgivingS with respect to the Presidents
policy. But in its defensive aspects the
Eisenhower policy on the Middle East is
similar to his Formosa policy, which Mr..
Acheson doesn't mention, but which has
worked quite well. If the choice lies be-
tween the Acheson plan and the Eisen-
hover plan, we believe it is the latter
which will be adopted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
The Heel of Achilles
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain of the United States Senate

spot in his life where he is
least capable of making re-
sistance, least able to meet the
shock of hostility, least able
to withstand the allurements
of temptation. more likely to
go down in bitter defeat. Every
life has its most vulnerable
point" That pertinent OBJ
servation can be summed up
in one sentence: Every man
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13

has a heel of Achilles. The
darkest pages of human his
tory are those which record
the poignant story of lives
seemingly strong, fearless, and
victorious, which have sudden
ly collapsed in ignominy be-
cause a dart from an ever
watchful enemy has found the
heel of Achilles. Glowing things
could be said about the char
acter and achievements Of
Francis Bacon. But all that is
Cancelled because an arrow OF
the tempter found his vulner-
able spot. TO him was in
trusted one of the keenest
minds ever given to a human
being. In the daWning light
of a vision splendid he wrote
inspiringly about his mission
in life and the golden goals
at which he aimed. AS his
career started across the beck
oning years he seemed to have
a conscience such as Huckle-
berry Finn said took UP more
room than all the rest of the
insides put together" For
fruitful years Bacon manfully
resisted the sinister preSsures
of his day--so full OF bribery
and corruption. Finally he was
made Lord Chancellor Of Eng
land. But he became a lost
leader. He turned traitor to
what had been thought of AS
unpurchasable integrity. He
surrendered to the drift of his
time. Instead of standing out
against the current of corrup-
ton he became human cha
meleon, changing color with
his environment. He was con-
victed of gross bribery and
banal corruption and lived his
closing years as a disgraced
man.
Today's headlines still tell
the mournful story of men in
finance, government and in
dustry, respected in their COM
munities. and often by the
Nation, as exemplars of integ-
rity and strength. No one ever
suspected the heel of Achilles.
but these disgraced men dis
appear behind prison doors.
utterly discredited. But the
dismal fact that the danger
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13

the overwhelming Endorsement
by the American and European
press of his boldly proclaimed
Mideastern policy, the new
Eisenhower Doctrine" seems
generally approved. But, that
is not the idea of those most
conspicuous in opposing him
last year. The prime point
made by these prior to the
election, was that the PreSi-
dent had no policy of any sort
in the Middle East; that he
was just letting things drift
and that, through our general
weakness and inertia, the So
VETS were increasingly putting
us on the defensive and max
ing monkeys of us. Now, how
ever, when the administration
announces a very clear policy,
the 1856 opposition at once
takes a position of unrestrained
hostility.
The Losers Views
Mr.. Stevenson sourly says
that our present position
should have been taken long
ago; that it is now much too
late and that we have now
been put in very dangerous
situation by delay. Senator
Kefauver asserts that the
Presidents policy is full of
dynamite" that it is of dubi-
Gus worth, generally unsound.
Quite clearly, they would have
vehemently denounced him
had he presented no policy
and equally clearly they have
none to present themselves.
The New Deal anti-Eisenhower
journalists vehemently declare
that the Eisenhower attitude
lacks vigor, is vacillating and
inadequate. No one else either
here or abroad criticizes in
those terms. 1t does seem,
in the absence of any con-
structive alternative, that the
present assault is somewhat
absurd.
First, the President is vio-
lently assailed for having no
foreign policy applicable to the
Middle East. Then, when he
announces a bold, strong pol
icy of dealing with an ad-
mittedly dangerous situation
he is denounced as risking
war and not willing to nego-
tate. None of this seems either
logical or sensible. The only
thing that can be said about it
is that recent opponents of
Mr.. Eisenhower are men and
women who are convinced
that nothing he ever did in
the past was right, that Moth
ing he is doing now is right
and that nothing he may do
IN the future will be right.
The simple truth OF the Presi-
dents proposal about the Mid
die East situation is that the
facts sustain him. What con-
ceivable reason now could he
have for not being on the
level with the American peo-
pie? What other man could
possibly have as good infor-
nation upon which to formu-
late a policy?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13

Out Of the beauty which was
Greece has come fundamental
truths which endure in sad
contrast to the crumbling of
her classic columns. A warn
ing which spans the changing
centuries is hidden in one of
the tales of that stored land
about the heel of Achilles. 1t
is a vivid story of a mother
and her baby boy. The mother.
Thetis. dipped her child in the
waters of the River Styx. 1t
was a legend that If a baby's
body were entirely immersed
in this stream it would be
rendered invulnerable for life
against any hostile weapon.
That protection Thetis aimed
TO give her son. But she cam
celed the insurance she sought
by not suDmerging the heel by
which she held the infant as
she bent over the swift current.
That one small part of the
body was not covered by the
magical waters. And so it
came to pass that in that heel
at last Achilles was fatally
wounded by Paris at the end
of his mighty days. The heel
of this ancient warrior has
become for all time the symbol
of the one vulnerable place in
the strongest life where there
is always the danger that
some swift and poisoned dart
will find its mark.
The heel of Achilles reminds
us that no life is completely
immune. There is always a
weak spot which only eternal
vigilance can keep from being
the gateway through which
an enemy entering may cap
tuce On otherwise uncor-
querable personality citadel.
o. course both environment
and heredity often combine to
fix the spot which corresponds
to Achilles heel. where some
pesetting sin waits to pounce.
But what for one will be but
a peaceful meadow starred
with daisies for another may
be a field of grim struggle.
But the final issue, the out
cone of temptations assaults.
rests always with the man
himself. 1t is this fact alone
which should keep everyone of
us from condeScendingly glar-
ing at another fighting a des-
perate battle the critic never
had to face. That realization
is enough to keep everyone of
us from ever pridefully parad-
ing our alleged virtues. Every
warrior, no matter how strong
he may appear to himself or
to others, as he faces evil
forces forever endeavoring to
find a vulnerable spot in his
armor, needs to keep con-
stantly before his eyes Paul's
stern and challenging words,
Let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he
fall"
One who for many years
has dealt with individuals who
have come to him smarting
under some moral defeat which
often had taken the victim
unawares, packs years Of fac
ing such personality problems
in this significant conclusion;
Every individual has some
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13

of the heel betraying the
whole body is always there,
does not imply that the
wounded heel is fatal. At the
trial of Jesus a nameless maid
came near finding the Achilles
heel of Peter as he denied with
oathS and curses that he had
ever known the Nazarene. But
that exposed weak spot was
afterwards so fortified that
even the apostles name was
changed from Sand to Rock.
Tradition says that Peter was
finally at his own insistence,
crucifled heels up because he
felt himself unworthy to be
lifted up as was his Lord. Now
the strange thing is that de-
feat is not as likely to reveal
the Achilles heel as is sue
cess. The preSsures of afflu-
ence, position, honors, re-
wards. often sweep a man off
his feet and hurl him down to
ruin. The integrity and stead
faStness which he showed in
his struggle up are often for
feited when one has reached
the materialistic goal he set
for himself. DR.. Fosdick puts
it wildly when he says: Many
a man has made a clean hit
in youth, has gotten to first
base. has run to second. has
reached third-he is very well
content with himself, he is
succeeding finely. and then he
is caught mapping off third
when there was no need for
it-when all his friends are
counting on him to get home"
Yes. it is triumph that so often
brings thoughtless confidence
and complacency-pride and
boaStful assurance.
But the evaneel of the New
Testament points not to a
graveyard of dead Achilles but
to a radiant company of lives
remade. The New Testament
tells us that the material out
of which the first Christians
were made was Thieves,
covetous, drunkards, jewellers.
extortioners, adulterers." Lust
had found a vulnerable spot in
the one the ages call st. Au-
gustine. But redeeming grace
made him into one of the
spiritual princes of the ages.
Christianity is the inspiring
record of men and women
whose weakness has been
turned to strength and whose
defeats have been stepping
stones to victory. But never
forget, at your souls peril. that
there is a vulnerable spot
somewhere in your PERSONAL
ity. A great hymn might well
be called THE Heel of Achil-
les" Let us join in the sing
ing of it in our watchful
hearts as we watch and pray:
MY soul. be on thy guard.
Ten thousand foes arise,
The hosts OF sin are pressing
hard
To drdD thee from the
skies.
Meier think the Uictory non
Nor lay thine drmor down,
The ,Dork of faith tDill not be
done
Til thee obtain thy crown.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
GIores at Lights

AS a District taxpayer and
resident of the Chevy Chase
area for over SO years, / wish
to call attention to the new
traffic control signals at the
intersection of Forty-fiirst
street. Military and Reno roads
NV.
At this one intersection, in
addition to the normal street
lights and stop signs, there
have been installed four new
high-powered overhead bril-
liant street lights and IA cost
ly metal poles bearing IS In
dividual traffic signal lights.
At the intersection Of FIJI