Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-07
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Moon Madness, Dog Life. Space Roce, Foot Droqqnq

-
it doesn't matter which.
Against stupidity the very
gods themselves contend in
vain!"
Richard V. Eek
y X y
A few days before Sput-
mix I. a mention, hint or sug-
gestion appeared that some
thing of the sort was to fol-
low; likewise for Sputnik II.
Russia's withdrawal from
disarmament talks could be
a kind of hint.
Centuries ago, outside of
the city of Troy was placed
a very unusual and amazing
wooden horse which caused
the populace and Troy's Sc
cure defense establishment to
forget security and satisfy
their curiosity instead.
Sputnik I and lis effect,
since they were not honestly
following the gentlemanly
ICY agreements in prean-
nouncement and technical
features, may be intended as
a Trojan Horse.
May we hope and pray that
no essential early warning
features Of our Navy, Army
and Air Force may be diverted
from their most essential
~ Robert T. Andrews.
4 * X *
So our free Western world
is going to pool it's brains"
in order to get a Sputnik of
our own into the sky!
Well. I hope this pool of
brains will take in the smart
people of all levels of society
and not wind up being just
those with college degrees
or standing in the 400 Club.
Walter Fielder.
u X X X
Perhaps the Soviet Mutt
mix tSputnik IL is an at
tempt to explore space to find
a place to send Russia's de-
posed leaders. After all, ST.
IBERIA must be getting pretty
congested by now.
b. M. F.
\
I dedicate these few lines
to Prof. Donald Mcneil of
Harvard:
Now hush, my dearS, before
the psychiatriStS get alarmed.
To see strange things is I'M
derStandable. but hallucina-
tions-Woe is me!
Tis not UFOS you see, my
dear, but the planet Venus
fitting in the Sky-or a red
corpuScle in your eye.
The Air Force has those
sky-hook balloons. you know,
and sometimes heat inver-
sions do strange things, and
so make them look like
Marian craft; but assure
you, it's only heat diversions
blowing cold and hot air!
Flying Saucer Believer.
& = = :
When the future safety of
Our children and the con-
tinued existence of our DEM
ocratic institutions are threat
ened by the scientific
progress of communistic
Russia, as evidenced by the
Sputnik and a second satel-
lite with a living dog. is it not
strange that we do not en-
ploy to the utmost the latent
genius Of our talented youth?
How can we afford not to
establish national university
scholarships for the boys and
girls Of exceptional ability
whose parents cannot afford
to send them to college? The
tremendous breakthrough
into the atomic age has been
the work of a few mathema-
ticians, physicists and basic
scientists, many imported
from Europe. Yet it is the
testimony of college regis
trars and psychologists test
ing high school students that
thousands of our brightest
youth are never given the
opportunity to realize their
own capacities. nor to serve
their country in the hour Of
its utmost need. because they
do not have the money to
continue their education.
We spend billions in loans
and assistance to foreign ma
tons and billions on military
and naval weapons which
have become obsolete. and
vet We cannot afford to bring
forth the talents of our gifted
youth whose parents are
poor. BY this neglect we are
no. merely weakening our
Self-defense but we are fail
ing to reach the highest levels
OF the arts and sciences
which our society is capable
OF producing.
We should at once increase
the pay Of teachers so that
We retain the best instructors
We now have and also attract