davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Dealing With DeIinquents

Faced with a new weapon In the ar
senal Of juvenile gangsters-the "grav-
ity" knife-New York authorities are
planning to ask Congress to ban 1t from
the mails. The gravity" knife is de-
scribed as a new form Of the outlawed
switch blade knife-and even more dan
gerous. Instead of pressing button to
flip the blade into stabbing position, the
holder of the new device merely gives
1t a sharp flick to accomplish the same
result. Some Of these potentially deadly
knives have been seized from juveniles
by New York police recently. Police
here have not as yet encountered the
weapon.
Legislation to forbid sale and dis
tribution of the flick-open knives would
be justiied, since, like the switch-blade
variety. they obviously are designed for
use as weapons, rather than routine cut
ting instruments. But the trouble with
such measures is that they have only
stopgap effect. The incorrigible delin-
quent viii not be discouraged BY bans
on one weapon or another. There Is
always available some alternative, such
as kitchen knife or piece Of chain
or lead pipe or even a broken bottle.
To outlaw every item which q youthful
hoodlum might use as weapon mani
festly would be impossible.
We still think that the most effec-
tive way to cope with gangsters, old or
young, is to remove them. from circula-
ton. Present juvenile court laws are
stacked in favor of juveniles. which is
all right in the case Of youths who have
made their first mistake and are amen
able to rehabilitation. But all too often
these one-sided laws become the refuge
of young criminals who are released on
the community and who then are free
to resume their attacks on people and
property. This type is not helped by
leniency. On the contrary, they are apt
to look with contempt on laws and law
enforcement officers. They are more
likely to be impressed by stern punish
ment of the sort meted out in adult
courts to fiagrant offenders.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
To Insure Boat Safety

The need for educating small-boat
owners and operators as to basic prin-
ciples Of safety on the water has been
stressed at the meeting here of the
National Small Boat Safety Conference.
With an estimated feet of more than
million small boats now using the
Nations waterways, it is not surprising
that the National Safety Council has
extended its program to include water
traf1c safety, as well as highway safety.
Education of the novice watermen in
rules of the road on the water is
highly desirable. 1t is doubtful, how
ever, that education, alone, is enough.
Some sort of governmental control Of
small-boat operations seems necessary
in the interest Of public safety.
The House Merchant Marine Com
mittee, after long study of the prob
lem, recommended legislation to require
registration with the Coast Guard of
powered craft under 16 feet long, now
exempt from any controls whatever.
Outboard boating organizations, how
ever, objected to any Federal control.
A compromise plan for State registration
OF small outboard or inb0ard motor
boats was suggested at the past session.
The legislation still is pending. That
there is need for some regulation of the
small craft is evident from the striking
growth Of outboarding in recent years.
1t is said there are more than as million
outboard boats on the Nations lakes,
coastal waters and rivers, whereas out
board motors we're novelty In the '20s.
Small boating has It's hot-rodders,
too, as experienced watermen on the
Potomac River can testify. Boatmen
who stick to the rules are entitled to
protection from those who endanger
their own lives and the lives of others
through ignorance or so-called prank
ishness. Some kind of Federal or State
regulation Of this field Of boating offers
the best guarantee Of orderly traffic on
the water.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Historic Debut

The atomic plant at Shippingport,
Pennsylvania, has now begun to gener-
ate electricity. The event is historic
one-the debut Of the worlds first full
scale nuclear power installation devoted
exclusively to nonmilitary uses.
At the moment, the installation
which has become part Of the Duquesne
Light Company--is operating on lin
tied test basis. A month or so from
now, however, 1t will be put to work
at its full generating strength to serve
the needs OF the consuming public In
the Pittsburgh area. When the switch
Is thrown for that purpose, the plants
initial electrical capacity Is expected to
be 10000 kilowatts, which will make it
the biggest thing Of It's kind In the field
of peacetime nuclear power.
This enterprise. Of course, viii not
be able to produce electricity nearly SO
cheaply as a conventional plant. 1t is
not meant to do that. 1t is meant,
instead, to promote further advances in
our country's reactor technology
vances of a sort that will lead in time,
in the not distant future, to other and
bigger nuclear installations that will be
capable of generating power at a price
competitive with that Of power from
coal, oil, gas or falling water.
In that sense, Philip A. Fleger,
board chairman Of the Duquesne COM
pany, has not exaggerated in hailing
Shippingport's first output Of electricity
as another major advance toward the
day of abundant, low-cost atomic
power" All Americans have reason to
take pride in the event.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Not Too Late to Give
I congratulate The Star on

! congratulate The Star on
the exceptionally fine serv-
ice 1t has rendered in giving
such splendid support to the
United Givers Fund. All Of
Washington owes you a vote
Of thanks.
I know from actual expert
ence Of many years Of active
participation in Community
Chest or UGF work that
Washington could not have
been more fortunate in the
quality Of leadership given
this cause. ! am sure every
one was disappointed that
our efforts did not achieve
the final goal this year. That
Is all the more reason we
should keep working and be
sure that nothing is left un-
done for ultimate success this
year and every year to come.
From the standpoint Of a
member Of the business COM
munity and a former Govern
ment worker. I know Of no
more efficient. effective or
economical way TO 20 for
ward in this cause than
through wholehearted sup
port Of the United Givers
Fund.
Donald s. Dawson.
Evening star., 1957-12-20

space hardware around the
globe. he Is not the man to
have in charge Of publicity
at the Pentagon. Not when
Russian public relations are
being as expertly handled as
they are being handled now.
And bring back Col. Nick
erson. who had the courage
to speak out against stupidity
in missiles. We need men
with nerve to tell us how
our national safety is being
toyed with by overstuffed and
complacent bureaucrats. Un-
less We can generate some
dynamism from somewhere
to counteract official COM
placency. we ere in a bad
way. Ralph Z. billiard.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
JURY DECIDES
TO the Editor Of The stor:

Press reports Of q recent
court case are likely to con-
vey TO the public false inn
pressions concerning the
functions imposed by law
upon psychiatrists generally
and upon me as superintend-
ent of st. Elizabeths Hospital
In particular In connection
with the mental condition Of
persons accused OF crimes.
% In the case OF John d.
Leach. DR.. Addison NJ. Duval,
the assistant superintendent
Of the hospital. testified that
the sociopathic personality
condition with which the de-
fendant was found to be suf-
fering was considered to be
q mental disorder" under the
American Psychiatric Asso-
ciation's most recent classi-
fication Of illnesses. the clas-
sitication used by the hospi-
tai. One newspaper headlined
this testimony: "St. Eliza
beths Adds New Insanity Plea
Element" It should be un-
derstood. as the courts have
often held. that the hospital
does not determine what con-
stitutes legal insanity. that is.
what conditihn Of mind viii
excuse q criminal act. That
determination Is made by the
jury. Our function. when we
are called upon for expert
testimony is. as the Court Of
Appeals said in the Carter
case. to explain ''the disease
and its dynamics. that is. how
It occurred. developed. and
affected the mental and emo
tional processes Of the de-
fendant." And. In the per-
formance Of that function. as
the court said, unexplained
medical labels--schizophre-
mia. paranoia, psychosis. neu-
rosis. psychopathy = are not
enough"
Those medical labels are. Of
course. extremely useful to
the staff Of a mental hospital
engaged In examining and
treating persons who are
Evening star., 1957-12-20
One Little Word

n CdSuai Iedulug Oh the article
which Secretary Dulles has written for
the current issue of Life magazine leaves
one with dismal impression that moth
including Mr.. Dulles-has changed,
or ever will change. But there is just
chance that this may be false i'm
preston.
For the most part the article is a
replay Of an old tune. It's central theme
Is that the Kremlin leaders have broken
their agreements in the past, that they
probably would break them again and
that they cannot be trusted in any
event.
Way down in line Of paragraph %,
however, one is pulled up sharply by an
interesting little word. Mr.. Dulles has
been discussing the armistice infrac-
tions in Korea and the peril to us which
would arise II international communism
should be able to increase its assets.
Then he wrote this: Surely. we should
not seriously weaken our position in re-
lance on new promises of the Soviet
Union while it is gravely in default on
its present promises"
IL is MI. DuIleS use OF the WOrQ
seriously" which interests US. This, one
may be sure, was not slip Of the pen
nor careless use of the language. For
Mr.. Dulles is not a careless man in such
matters. Still, for him to say that we
should not seriously weaken our position
suggests that he might be willing to
weaken, or modify, our poSition-per-
haps not seriously, but in some degree.
II this is the case the outlook for pro-
ductive negotiations with Russia may be
brighter than the burden Of the article
would lead one to believe.
One thing is certain. Nothing will
come Of any negotiations between the
United States and Russia unless both
parties are willing to make some con-
cessions- The futility of trying to ad-
here to the old, fixed positions has been
amply demonstrated. If any progress Is
to be made something will have to give
and we think there will have to be a
little giving by ourselves as well as by
the Russians. 1t would be unwise to
read too much into one word. One sus-
poets, however. that Mr.. Dulles used this
particular word deliberately and for a
purpose. If so. it may be considered
hopeful portent of things to come.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Time for Caution

A reminder that the Christmas holi-
days are season of tragedy as well
as peace and good will has come from
traffic safety authorities. 1t Is an omi-
nous statistical fact that the Yuletide
brings more deaths and injuries on the
Nations highways than any other ma
tional holiday. And the sad part of 1t
all is that most of the fatalities are
preventable-that Is, they could be pre-
vented by common-sense driving.
In timely release. the Kemper in
surance group points out that its study
of Labor Day traffic accidents has re-
vealed that 88 per cent Of the deaths
were caused by drivers disregard of
highway laws and signs. The No. killer
during the past Labor Day week end
was excessive speed. This accounted for
more than third Of the 442 deaths.
The No. killer was alcohol, with drunk
en- or drinking drivers involved in 23.1
per cent of the fatal crashes. These two
factors always play leading parts in the
ChristmasrNew Year holiday period, the
insurance report stressed-in fact they
reap an even larger harvest than during
other national holidays
Last years Christmas-New Year
death toll reached new high of LIS,
as compared with 973 in 1855, 688 in
1854, $40 In 1858, 963 in 1852 and 910 in
1851. The six-year total was 5,489 deaths
and many thousands Of serious injuries.
With the time for Office parties here and
many drivers preoccupied with matters
other than safe driving, the danger sea-
son is at hand. If ever there was need
for extra caution at the wheel, the time
Is now.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
JURY DECIDES
Insanity Verdicts in Crime Cases

prive the individual Of that
capacity. The hospital for
meriy reported such persons
TO the courts. therefore. as
without mental disorder"
This meant that the indi-
vidual was without legally
significant mental disorder.
II did not mean that he was
entirely devoid Of all medical
evidence Of emotional illness.
Since the Durham decision
in 1854. the law has been
that any mental disease or.
defect which causes the
crime is legal insanity"
While it may have been per-
missible to certify in a state
ment to q court under the
earlier law that a person
without psychosis was with
out mental disorder. such q
certification would seem i'm
proper under present rulings.
as the patient might be suf-
fering from q milder form Of
illness such as q neurosis or
q personality disturbance.
Today, as the Court Of Ap-
peals said in the Carter case,
the psychiatric witness
should avoid legal conclu-
sions in his testimony. THE
law wants from the medical
experts medical diagnostic
testimony as to q mental ILL
ness. II any :" Legal con-
clusions are for the court to
draw. Under this mandate,
we must testify. when we are
called. to the medical dag
nostlc" fact that sociopathic
personality disorder Is q men,
tai disorder. even though 1t
is not Of the nature Of a
pSychosiS.
Winfred Overholser. Md.
Superintendent. st. Eliza
beths Hospital.
Editors note: Paul d.
Leach was tried for conceal
ing knowledge Of a crime
the theft Of an automobile
and a gun from q United
States marshal--and for re-
ceiving stolen property. He
was found not guilty by rea-
son Of Insanity
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Echoes of Vanguard

For those nations that
want TO laugh at the United
States, no better justification
could be provided than that
which the torrent Of United
States-inspired publicity let
loose Of Vanguard. This self
styled race to the heavens is
not a child's game to be care
lessly promoted and foolishly
exploited.
We 60 from one extreme
to the other. We have the
press and others gripping be-
cause the government is so
tight-lipped. Then they get
the full story on Vanguard
and the United States, as a
result. suffers at a most
critical time in international
events It's most serious set
back In world prestige.
In spite Of this, Chairman
John e. Moss Of the House
Committee on Government
Information takes strong ex-
ception TO any view that
Evening star., 1957-12-20
New Gu Head

The papal appointment Of the Right
Reverend Monsignor william J. Nc
Donald as rector Of Catholic University
comes as no surprise. Monsignor Nc
Donald has been acting rector of the
university since the departure last
spring Of the Most Reverend Bryan J.
McEntegart, who is now Bishop of
Brooklyn, New York. Before that he
had been vice rector for nearly three
years and member Of the faculty since
1910.
Moreover, the new rector is an
alumnus Of Gu with masters and
doctors degrees In philosophy. He has
been active in the Alumni Association
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Soviet Journals Source of Stories

easier and more comfortable
living which, as almost every
page Of history testifies. Is
the broad road TO racial de-
generation and extinction.
All the above. with some Of
which some ill-informed per-
sons may disagree. is apropos
q puzzled week end spent
laboring through four vol
umes Of Russian journal
publications in the field Of
biology published in the FIRST
two months Of this year.
Since Sputnik began circling
the world about anything in
Russian science has become
Of outstanding interest to
Americans and they have
become inclined to believe
almost anything.
For the past two years
Russian physical journals
have been translated into
English through the National
Science Foundation. ! have
been through a few of the
files. Admittedly quite in
competent to detect signifi-
canoes In this field. I found
nothing of enough interest to
warrant passing on. BY and
large. 1t was very dreary stuff.
Tries Biology Next
Biology promised some
thing better. For the past
two decades Russian biology
has been a field of almost
complete mystery. Advances
more startling than any in
the physical sciences might
be expected.
The American Institute Of
Biological Sciences has un-
dertaken, with a National
Science Foundation grant,
translation and publication
Of the major Russian biologi.
cal journals. Those for the
first two months Of this year
have Just appeared. They
will appear in two-monthly
budgets from now on.
The first hurried skimming
through Of the four volumes
was quite disappointing.
There was none Of the highly
imaginative. mystical specu-
lation I had anticipated
nothing about the fauna Of
Mars. for example, or the
current farm crops on Venus.
Some of the titles: "Connec-
tive Tissue in Cats; The
Middle Sheath Of the Cows
Aorta";; The Formation of
Perivitelline Space in Stur-
geon Oocytes." etc. But a
closer reading brought out
eight or 10 reports. generally
with quite prosaic titles,
which gave more promise Of
ipterest.
There was nothing Of over
whelming significance. Rus
slams, sad to say. have fallen
far from the high clouds
Of headline-worthy mysticism
into the stuffy pit of prac-
ticability. However that may
be, the next few columns will
be devoted to what I found
Of interest in the reports.
Evening star., 1957-12-20
Rogers on Rights

NOyeIS OF MgHtS
Voicing the administra-
tion's latest strategy on civil
rights. Attorney General
William Rogers says there
will be "a cooling-of period"
with no further legislation
contemplated at this time.
This is one Of the most
understandable decisions to
come out Of recent COP. poll
icy. For the price paid for
the heating-up period has
been enormous. The ruth
less quest for the Negro vote,
aptly called "Brownellism.
was the political snafu Of
these times. It had a blind
spot as big as a barn door.
And the heat generated is
likely TO last until the 1860
elections.
II laid in ashes the party's
organization in Southern
States. II inspired the hot
white vote" in Northern
States, which ironically
enough seems destined to
eclipse the Negro vote. And 1t
burned up the Republican
constitutionalist vote when
the quest for Negro support
led 10 the invasion Of Little
Rock.
Apparently heat on civil
rights is like something that
can be turned on or of. de-
pending on political advan-
tage. This looks more like
the shenanigans Of opportu-
nists than It does the crusad-
ing Of idealistic purists.
Norman s. CoClle.
Vero Beach. Fla.
Evening star., 1957-12-20

mentally or emotionally III.
The labels. being a shorthand
way Of describing q set Of
symptoms. are an aid to COM
munication among the va
rious stan members who may
participate In diagnosing and
treating the patients illness.
With developing knowledge
and experience. this medical
nomenclature Is changed
from time to time. The hospi-
tai. along with other mental
hospitals and the psychiatric
profession. makes every ef-
fort to employ q consistent
and medically accurate ter
minology Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual Of Mental
Disorders. published by the
American Psychiatric Asso-
ciation).
The condition Leach was
found to have-sociopathic
personality disorders one
of the mental disorders
listed Ia this Manual.
Whether It is a disorder Of
such magnitude or nature
as should have barred his
conviction was for the jury
to decide. and they decided
1t.
The misunders tanding
which has arisen as to this
case Is attributable to the
fact that communication be-
tween doctor and lawyer is
not so easy as communica-
ton between doctor and doc
tor. Psychiatrists have long
been called upon to give
opinions as to the legal
sanity" of persons accused
Of crime. Until three years
ago. the law in the District
Of Columbia was that the
only mental disorder that
could constitute legal insan-
ity was one which deprived
the individual Of his capacity
to distinguish right from
wrong-in short. psychosis.
Sociopathic personality dis
order or. as 1t was then
called. psychopathic person.
ality, does not usually de-
Evening star., 1957-12-20

Once upon q time, It Is
related. five eminent biolo-
gists met at an international
conference. One was q Ger
man. one an Englishman, one
a Ftenchman, one q Russian
and the fifth an American.
Over cocktails the five fell
into an acrimoniously violent
dispute about elephants. At
the point Of fisticufis, saner
counsel prevailed. All agreed
they hadn't really known
what they were talking about
that. In fact. nobody knew
very much about elephants.
This was q serious lacuna in
human knowledge.
So they shook hands and
agreed that each would de-
vote the next five years to
investigation Of pachyderms,
each publishing his results
independently as they be-
came available. At the end
OF this period the German
had produced five ponderous
tones entitled: A Brief In
PRODUCTION to the Anatomy Of
the Elephants Trunk. The
Englishman had published
two handsomely printed and
elaborately illustrated vol
umes on Hunting the Ele-
phant.
The Frenchman also had
produced two volumes, barred
from the United States: The
Love Life Of the Elephant.
The Russian had published
one highly philosophical VOL
ume: The Elephant: Does It
Exist? The American also
had published one volume,
considerably simmer than
the Russian and made UP
largely Of pictures: How to
Get Bigger and Better Ele-
plants.
In Keeping with Trends
This may not be a bad pic
ture Of the general trends Of
scientific literature early in
the Goth century. The Rus
sians-who of late credit
themselves with discovering
everything from the true
shape Of the world to hydro
gen fusion and in some cases
not entirely without justifica-
ton. inclined towards a highly
introverted. flne-spun philo-
sophical mysticism in con-
trast to the American en-
phasis on the Immediately
practical.
The present writer has
never been much concerned
with the practical-with So
called "gadgetry." In the
long sweep Of history it may,
or may not. be of some
slight significance. but it Is
horribly uninteresting. Think
ing in terms Of newspaper
headlines, much bigger and
more colorful ones could have
been written-or should have
been written-on the Rus
sian speculations. The only
significance of bigger and
better elephants" would be
Evening star., 1957-12-20

greater secrecy should have
surrounded the firing to
avoid embarrassment abroad.
Rather than more secrecy
in matters Of this type, we
need more candor." he de-
clared. But 1t is not a ques-
ton Of secrecy. II is. rather.
a question Of sound judgment
tempered by long experience.
Surely the Soviets don't have
q copyright on this virtue.
When such a state Of
International psychological
warfare exists, we should be
more sensitive to the implica-
tions Of what we say and how
we say 1t. What harm would
have been done by ignoring
or at least playing down the
anticipated launching Of the
United States first satellite?
Some will praise the So
called candor Of the United
States in readily admitting
failure. Others will call 1t
simply what II is-bad judg-
ment with 90 per cent CO.
operation from the press.
Robert J. Lowe.
-
At last II becomes clear
who Is responsible for the
incredible error OF conduct
ing the failure Of our VAN
guard satellite test in public,
giving the United States It's
worst international humilia-
ton In years. Assistant Sec
retary of the Navy Norton
says 1t was Murray Snyder,
Assistant Secretary of De-
tense. Mr.. Snyder, II I recall
correctly, used to be assistant
press secretary to President
Eisenhower and now Is pub
lie relations expert" for the
Defense Department.
Mr.. Snyder should be i'm
mediately restored to private
life. II he fails In publiciz-
ing soap flakes or corn flakes,
the Nation and the world
are no worse of. But when
he publicly exposes and em-
phasizes q highly untypical
failure Of American technol-
ogy at q time when Russia
is strutting its new outer