davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
Let's Get Into Line

The District ought to get in line with
the Federal Government and most of the
States in their policy of exempting social
security benefits from the income tax.
The District and Federal income tax laws
are similar in that no specific mention is
made of social security payments. How
ever, completely opposite administrative
rulings have excluded social security 'in-
come" from the Federal tax but made it
subject to the District tax Neither Mary
land, Virginia nor score of other States
impose an income tax on social security
benefits.
Although District Assessor Martin has
opposed any exclusion by administrative
action (the course adopted by the Federal
Internal Revenue Service), Engineer Com
missioner Lane has said he thinks that
Federal and general State policies should
be considered in deciding whether to ex-
empt social security from the District tax.
He pointed out to Mr.. Martin that social
security was designed ito guarantee a
minimum income"-and a tax on such
benefits could lower the minimum income.
We hope Congress will amend the local
income tax law to bring it into conformity
with Federal and general State practices
with respect to social security benefits.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

Glib Crockett's cartoons on
the controversy between the
National Guard and the Pen
tagon inadvertently. we think,
impute to the National Guard
certain undesirable. and un-
true, characteristics.
While we have no quarrel
with Mr.. Crocketts themes,
We think that the portly. per-
haps over-age, gentleman por-
trayed as representative of the
Guard bears little resemblance
TO the $4,000 officers and men
Of today's National Guard.
A cartoonist's characterize
ton is subject to the same
laws of truth as the news
mans story or editorial. The
figure presently being used to
portray the Guard in The
Stars cartoons can do nothing
but cause deep resentment
among the thousa of
GuardSmen who sacrifice con-
siderable time from business
and family to keep fit physi-
cally and to keep up to date
professionally in their military
specialties.
Allan G.. Crist,
Editor. the National
Guardsman.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
'Cominq of Aqe'

Although not spectacular in a COM
mercial sense, the new nuclear plant at
the Atomic Energy Commissions Argonne
National Laboratory near Chicago con-
StituteS another significant advance in
our country's atoms-for-peace program.
Put into operation over the week end, the
plant has generating capacity of 5000
kilowattS or more than enough to take
care of all the big laboratory's power
requirements.
But the primary purpose of this
project is not so much to produce atom
derived electricity for the Argonne in
Stallation as to promote experimentation
and progress in the development of nu.
clear energy for industrial power and
other nonmilitary uses. And an additional
basic objective is to maintain American
world leadership in the chronological bus
mess of designing and constructing reac-
tors of the most advanced and the most
efficient types, both for use here at home
and for export abroad to such huge and
promising undertakings as free Europe's
Six-nation "Euratom" community.
Thus, as Acc Chairman Lewis L.
Strauss has declared, Argonne'S expert
mental boiling water reactor is leading
the parade" in big program of research
and development in which the commits
Sions laboratories are working on no
fewer than 10 different concepts of gen.
Grating electricity from the atom. The
Argonne plant is the first in operation,
but 20 others (Some of them private
enterprise undertakings) are either under
construction or planned in various parts
of the United States One Of these, the
first in the world designed exclusively for
industrial power, is the 10000 kilowatt
project at Shippingport, Pa, which will
start producing later this year.
1t is with good reason, therefore,
that Mr. Strauss has observed that 1857
may be hailed in the future "aS the year
of the coming of age of nuclear power"
AS for our American position, we still
are blessed with such an abundance Of
conventional fuels that we have much
less incentive than many other countries
to press forward in this field Neverthe-
less we are pressing forward, and the
signs indicate that we are not likely to
lose our lead in advanced reactor tech
nology.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
Airport Hazards

The crash of the airplane
into the schoolyard in Van
Mugs. Calf. might just as
easily be repeated in Fairfax
County if the Washington
business interests have their
way and get an airport built
at Burke.
There are 60 schools now in
the county. Fairfax and An
Mandate High Schools lie
right in the path of the run
ways as now proposed. AT least
a dozen other schools will be
within two to four miles from
the airport.
Can the fact that Friend
ship lies five or ten minutes
farther from the heart of
Washington outweigh the
safety of the thousands of
children in Fairfax County?
BY the time Burke Airport
could be built our school pop
ulation will be around the
10000 mark. Are the lives OF
10000 school children of less
value to the airlines, real
estate dealers, contractors and
Others who would profit from
an airport than the minor
inconvenience in time to a
few hundred airline users?
Roy ii. Carson.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

In view of the report Of SEN
ator Gore of Tennessee, chair
man of the Senate Elections
Subcommittee, that the recent
presidential election cost IN
excess of $33 million. we are
faced with a proposition of
ending the fact or the appear
ance that the Office OF Pres
idency is for sale to the highest
bidder, or abolishing the Office
entirely and substituting:
(a) A constitutional mon
archy, similar to England, or
(b) A constitutional COM
mission of 10 or II good bust
nessmen beyond reproach, one
of whom should be elected
president of the commission
ca revolving commission
every second year. We are face
TO face with disaster, and un-
less there is complete rever-
sal Of our present system of
squandering and waste, our
republic will 90 the way Of all
the ancient republics.
Wade II. Cooper,
Past President. Sons of the
American Revolution.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
Zhukov Signs Up

Soviet Marshal Zhukov is the latest
recruit to join the ranks of that hetero-
geneouS army which is fighting the Eli
senhower program for the Middle East.
One need not look beyond the
Zhukov statement to learn why he has
volunteered. He says he is sure that the
Eisenhower policy will be rejected by the
Arabian people and that they will find
what policy corresponds to their interests
and who are their real friends and who
their masked enemies" In short, Mar
shall Zhukov is propaganda recruit,
fighting to steer the Arabs away from
the United States and into Russia's
benevolent and protective embrace.
The chances are that Marshal
Zhukov, fighting alone, would not be able
to make much Roadway with his cam
paign. But he is not fighting alone.
Fighting with him-for different reasons
but fighting nonetheleSS-are those DEM
ocratic Senators who seem just as deter
mined as Marshal Zhukov to diScredt
and bring down the Middle East pro-
gram. These Senators offer variety Of
reasonS-that they do not want Congress
to surrender its war-making power, that
they do not want to give the adminiStra-
ton free hand to spend 5000 million
in the Middle East, and, implicit though
not stated, that they think they see a
fine partisan chance to embarrasS the
President and his Secretary of State
We hope that the program, which
seems far from repugnant to some in
fluential Arab leaders, will survive. But
the possibility that it will be defeated
or discredited toa point where it will
be robbed of its effectivenessis increasing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
LoqicoI Legislation

Chairman Mcmillan Of the House Dis
trict Committee will have logic and local
business interests on his side in his re-
newed effort to provide the District OF
Columbia with its own workmen'S COM
pensation law. Nothing could be more
illogical than the present system, under
which compensation benefits and rates
for Washington workers are fixed accord
ing to what is considered good for long
shoremen in New York City, Boston or
San Francisco. This absurdity results
from the inclusion of the District in the
Federal Longshoremen's and Harbor
Workers Compensation Act.
The legislative anomaly dates from
1928, when an amendment was tackled
onto the national longshoremen's meas
ure to bring the District into the work.
mems compensation system. 1t was the
general understanding then that the
amendment was temporary arrange
ment, pending enactment by Congress OF
a separate District law. But every effort
in recent years to have Congress pass
District law has been defeated. Mean
while local compensation benefits for dis
abled civilian workers in Washington
have been set to meet the demands of
longshoremen and utterly without regard
to local conditions or needs.
We hope the new Congress will put
an end to this irrational tie-up between
dock workers along the coasts and
workers in the District. 1t can do so by
approving the Mcmillan bill, which has
the support of the Board of Trade and
other business interests here.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

mann was only SO years old when he died.
Yet, in his tragically too-brief lifetime,
he rendered service to the United States
on scale of incalculable value. This was
not the land of his birth, but he was one
of its most distinguished and priceless
parts even before becoming natural
lied citizen in 1887. His Acc colleagues
mourn his loss in way that the whole
Nation has reason to mourn his loss-as
a human being full of personal charm,
warmth, sense of humor and tremen-
douS mental gifts. 1t probably will be
long time before we see his like again.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
Belt Tightening Time

One of the great fallacies in
the thinking Of people is that
war makes us more prosperous
and increases our standard of
living. The constant demands
for cost-of living wage in
creases is an example of this
fallacious thinking.
Why do prices go up? Out
side of the law of supply and
demand. prices rise because
money becomes cheaper. The
reason that money becomes
cheaper is that the standard of
living has fallen. the artificial
stimulus to maintain the
standard Of living by ost-of-
living wage increases is a false
palliative. Sooner or later, in
some form. the piper must be
paid. The more we have par
taken of the false palliative,
the more pronounced will be
that reckoning day.
When a 500 million battle
ship is sunk. $500 million of
our wealth goes to the bottom
of the sea. When cities are
devastated by bombing, the
accumulated wealth of many
generations is lost. VIII e n
monstrous war engines con-
sumo our resources of petro-
leum. have we become richer
in petroleum? No amount OF
humble tumble can talk away
our losses and make us appear
more prosperous.
Instead of living off the past
savings of the thrifty and off a
future that must be paid by
our youth and unborn genera
lions. 1T would have been and
would be more realistic to
tighten our belts in program
OF moderate austerity instead
OF borrowing on tomorrow.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
Sanctions and Israeli

Your editorial Sanctions
and Israel" in which you imply
that sanctions against Israel
would be practical, while i'm
potent and useless against
Russia, reveals the same two
facedness in foreign policy that
has led Mr.. Dulles to so many
failures.
Is a SO traffic violation any
less applicable to a millionaire.
simply because 1t won't hurt
him deeply, than to a $50-a-
week laborer?
MIR. Knowland. it seems. has
recognized the United Nations
value as the administrator of
moral forces. and as such
would use itG power equally
among all nations. great or
small. You, on the other hand,
would use the U. N. only TO adj
vantage. Since the purpose OF
the U. N. is international jus
tice, its prestige and signili-
canoe can be advanced only BY
a single code. applicable TO one
and all.
l.. ID. McCarthy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

There is merit in the plan to have
Vice President Nixon attend ceremonies
next month marking the birth Of the
state of Ghana in West Africa. On March
6, the Gold Coast, colony and protecto-
rate of Britain, takes on its new name and
becomes an independent member Of the
British Commonwealth. On the same
date, neighboring Togoland, a former
German colony under United Nations
trusteeship since that organization was
founded, will adhere to the newly indie
pendent state.
The forces of nationalism and the
drive for political independence have been
strong throughout Africa in the past
decade. From one end of the continent
to the other new states have come into
being. Britain, in particular, has applied
consistently sympathetic and CO.
operative policy in helping the areas
under its Jurisdiction acquire their new
status, and our own Government has
looked with approval upon this evolution.
Mr.. Nixon and Mrs. Nixon who will ac-
company him In this instance, have DEM
onstrated their popularity and effective
ness as good will emissaries in The foreign
field. President Eisenhower told his news
conference that the trip will benefit Mr..
Nixon In the sense of broadening his
experience and acquaintance with other
lands. 1t should also benefit American
interests by demonstrating again our
respect and support for the principles Of
freedom and independence. 4
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

lures. A warm greenhouse
is one which is kept at 60 de-
greeS or above.
@. What kind of nest do
newborn rabbits have?-P. K.
A. Their nest is simply a
depression in the ground, lined
with the mothers fur. The
mother cottontail visits them
only at night. to nurse them.
When she leaves them, she
covers them with grass and
wisps of her fur, to make them
as nearly hidden from view as
possible.
@. In what work BY Shake
speare is the line about airy
nothine"?-J. y.
A. Near the beginning of Act
Y in A Midsummer Nights
Dream occur the lines: g.
And, as imagination bodies
forth The forms of things
unknown, the poets pen Turns
them TO shapes, and gives 10
airy nothing A local habitss
ion and a name"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Sun Is Coated With QuiIIs of Fire
By THOMAS R. HENRY

especially are throwing some
new light on the photosphere
itself, all of the sun that is
easily visible. 1t is a higher
excited envelope. not more
than 300 miles thick. with a
temperature of about 5000
c. 1t encloses the unknown
interior of the earth's star
where, at enormous temper
atures, take place the thermo-
nuclear reactions responsible
for the suns heat and the life
of the solar system.
Even with the best tele-
scopes it is impossible to OBJ
serve really fine details of the
solar surface 80 million miles
away. Miss Lippencott ex-
planned. The smallest detail
that can be detected is $50
miles across.
A notable phenomenon for
which there is no explanation,
she explained, is the granular
appearance of the suns face.s
Sometimes it looks as if the
star has measles. The grains
constantly are appearing and
disappearing. The smallest are
about 300 miles in diameter.
Apparently larger ones, some
times as much as 1000 miles
in diameter, probably are close
groups of smaller grains in
which the individuals cannot
be distinguished. They may not
appear to the naked eye, which
requires about a tenth Of a
second to get an integrated
picture, but are quite clear in
photographs taken with ex-
posures of 1.000th second.
SunspOts Best Known
Probably the best known Of
all solar surface phenomena
are the sunspots, which have
been known for centuries and
sometimes even can be seen
with the naked eye. They have
been interpreted as Whirlwinds
in the photosphere and occur
curiously in l1-year cycles.
They are enormous areas, some
with diameters of as much as
$4,000 miles.
The photographs show. it
was explained, that they tend
to occur in brighter areas of
the solar surface, indicating
some underlying phenomenon
as the basic cause. They occur
in groups and have lifetimes
of from two weeks to a year.
Apparently, it was pointed
out, there is no relation be-
tween these moving black
patches and either the grains,
or PLACES, or the porcupine
quilts. The great geysers of
flame, however, seem most
likely to originate in sunspot
areas. Among the findings
concerning the PLACES is that
they have relatively slow
whirling motions at a rate of
about a third mile second.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11
Tax Facts

Two statements were made
in the February Star, which
seem to me misleading. The
first. in the story by Francis P.
Douglas, on the subject Of
Social Security Recipients Hit
by d. c. Income Tax, was "A
taxpayer making out his Fed
eral income tax return does not
even have to list the social
security benefits he receives.
The other one, a statement by
Max Abel IN a letter TO The
Star. on the same subject, was
The Federal Government
does not require the reporting
Of social security payments in
income tax forms.
Until making my return for
1856 tduring which year l be-
came eligible for social secu-
rity benefits. / had accepted
such statements as these as
true. However. l happen also
TO be receiving an annuity from
the Federal Government. and
to my amaZement l found that
social security payments 90.
indeed, have TO be reported and
be deducted from the $1,000
credit which is allowed for re-
tlrement income. In this way,
the civil service annuity,
which ! considered almost tax
free. after deducting the $1,000
credit allowed, was forced into
taxable income by means OF
social security benefits. In
the light of these facts, why
should the public be misin-
formed on these points?
Taxpayer.
Editors note: The general
rule is true that social security
benefits do not have to be re-
ported as income on the Fed
eral tax return. II social
security benefits are the only
income a person has. he does
not even have TO file a Federal
income tax return. But the
benefits do have to be taken
into account along with other
pensions and annuities. and
interest, rents and dividends
for the purpose of computing
the retired income credit
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

School days, school days,
dear old golden rule days
NJ. NJ. w. of Colmar Manor,
Md. discusses some of them,
My schooling began in the
fifth grade at the old Maury
school. where Miss Stephens
was my teacher, and later in
the seventh grade. Miss
Stockett.
Among other mustS in our
educational system of those
days was memorizing such
things as songs, poems, the
preamble to the Constitution,
and so on.
Did we know them? You
know We learned them, and
learned them well. under each
teacher l have named.
"Oh. how we'll / remember
Miss Mary Sockets own in
dividual system of marking our
grade in recitation.
\ X
"She had a deck of cards.
small white ones, one for each
pupil in her room, and there
were 40 of us.
Each card was marked with
the pupils name. and these
She shuffled and reshuffled.
Finally, she selected one. on
whom she called for recitation.
or for answer to her question.
Meanwhile. each of us
waited calmly, if we knew a
lesson. but in trepidation if we
did not, for Miss Stockett
never raised her eyes until she
had called the name. and nc
one had any forewarning.
IN say we made 1t our bus
mess to know what our home.
work had prepared us to know
for If we didn't. and several
failed TO answer correctly,
those small white cards were
dropped into her lap, and the
ominous words delivered:
The class will remain after
school until
Miss Stockett was a Won
derful teacher and I'm CRATE
tul for all she taught me.
She was strict, very strict.
but she was always fair
= =
The writer goes on to tell of
listening to Miss Marion An
derson sing "rhe Star Span
gled Banner" during the in
auguration ceremonies, and
says. Having learned the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

The sun has coat like a
porcupine.
It's quilts of fire are as much
as 10000 miles long.
The quilted appearance OF
the edge of the photospfere.
the edge of the suns disk
visible to the naked eye, when
photographed with special
techniques, was described to
National Capital astronomers
by Sarah L. Lippencott of
the Sproul Observatory,
Swarthmore, Pa, who has
carried out Investigations on
the Pic du Midi in the French
Pyrenees and Sacramento
Peak in New Mexico.
The quilts" or spicules, she
explained, are a quite different
phenomena from the better
known great geysers of fire
which systematically are shot
from the suns surface millions
of miles into space and are
believed to affect seriously
radio transmission on earth.
The fire thorns at times are
quite conspicuous and there
is no easy explanation of their
origin. The astronomer ex-
planned that her particular
interest in the solar surface
springs largely from the
Sproul Observatory program of
studying nearby stars. The
light from the nearest of these,
moving at 10000 miles a Sec
ond, requires about four years
to reach the earth. Still
phenomena have been OBJ
served on their surfaces be-
lieved to be quite similar to
what happens on the suns
surface. Thus a minute knowl-
edge of details of solar events
is essential to interpret what
happens on the nearby stars
similar to the sun in structure.
The visible solar disk is sur
rounded by a relatively heavy
atmosphere of hot gases APP
proXimately Is, 900 miles thick.
Above this is the extremely
tenuous corona, visible to the
naked eye only during a total
eclipse, which extends millions
of miles into space.
Prominent at Poles
The "porcupine quilts" shown
in the astronomers photo
graphs extend from the sur
face Of the photoSphere into
chromosphere. They are most
prominent around the north
and south poles of the sun. al
though they may be encoun-
tered almost anywhere on the
surface. In the polar re-
gions they also are somewhat
higher than elsewhere. They
spring out OF the surface with
a velocity of 10 to Is miles a
second and they have lifetimes
of four to five minutes.
The Pic du Midi studies
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

II Lincoln were living today
the Rotary Club would prob
ably give him a good set of
books. the Lions Club a read
ing lamp. and the Kiwanis
Club a radio. He would be pro-
vided with free school lunches.
The Government would pur-
chase his surplus crops at
parity prices. He would be pro-
tected from low wages by the
minimum wage law. The rail-
splitter'S union would see to
it that he had an annual in
crease in his wages of 20 cents
an hour and would supply him
with unemployment compensa-
ton If he should be out of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-11

Q. How much copper must
there be in a ton Of ore TO
make it worth mining?-B. w.
A. The Kennecott Copper
mine in Utah processes ore
containing as little as I 10th
of per cent, or 8 pounds of
copper per ton, Material below
this grade is Improbable.
Years ago the cutoff point
was double this. or Is pounds
of copper per ton. New proc
eSSes and increased efficiency
have permitted use Of millions
of tons OF low-content copper
ore which once would have
been considered waste.
G. At what temperature
should a home greenhouse be
kept at night? A. v.
"A. * cool greenhouse. kept
between 40 and SO degrees al
night, is recommended for
amateurs. Most greenhouse
plants do best a. & ni9ht TEN
perature OF SO degrees, but are
not harmed by cooler tonpcr4,