davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
Sputnik the Second

There may not be great deal that
we can do in the short run to counter
Russia's spectacular achievement with
Sputnik II. For the Russians are far
ahead-much too far to be overtaken in
this geophySical year.
Their second satellite, with a live
dog aboard, weighs half ton and has
been fired over thousand miles into
space. Our first effort next month, If
successful, will send up sphere weigh
ing six pounds. This is enough to tell
the Story-that the Russians have big
lead in rocketry, and they will keep
their lead for a long time to come. It
has already been announced from Mos
COW that live ape will be passenger
on the next Soviet satellite, and some of
our scientists are predicting that the
Russians may hit the moon with a rocket
this month. Our own program, relatively
speaking, apparently is in the horse
and-buggy stage.
We do not know what may be the
military implications of this latest feat.
Certainly, it should end the argument
respecting Russia's long-range missile
capability. If they can fire half-ton
satellite into space, they presumably can
fire missile to any point on the globe.
And with the information they are get
ting from their satellites they should
be able to develop high degree of
accuracy.
In the years to come, however, the
nonmilitary implications of what the
Russians are doing may pose the great
est threat to us. Obviously, they are
forging ahead on a broad scientific
front. They are producing more sci
entiStS and technicianS than we are;
they are exerting greater effort, and
they apparently have both the means
and the will to sustain their effort. We
are doing magnificent job of producing
gadgetS and improving the living stand
ards of our people. We are also making
not inconsiderable scientific effort, but
the question is whether we are doing
enough and the answer self-evidently
Is that we are not.
Physicist Edward Teller, popularity
known as the father of the HBomb,
has spoken meaningfully'on this point.
The Russian achievements, he said, have
taken a lot of money and effort in
country where people go hungry" And
IF they surpass us in technology in the
years ahead there is very little doubt
who will determine the future of the
world"
Mr.. Teller is saying that the Rus
slams, as things are going, will determine
the future of the world. The rest Of
lis should remember that If thew control
the worlds future, they will also control
what we speak of so fondly as the
American way of life.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04

union to be held on July Is,
26 and 81 in Detroit, Mich.
If there are any ex-WAVES
among your readers, they can
have their names and ad-
dresses added to our mailing
list by writing to:
National WAVES Reunion
Committee, 1858; Room AL,
Federal Building, Detroit 26,
Mich.
Information and reserva-
ton forms will be mailed Ito
all of the ex-WAVES in the
early part of 1858 to insure
them ample time to formu-
late their plans for attending
the National WAVE Reunion
in the Water Wonderland.
Dorothy Hebert,
Chairman, Registration
Committee.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
Business in ArIinuton

Arlington, in need of additional
revenue for public services and facilities,
Is awakening to the fact that its best
sources of new revenue, commerce and
industry, are looking beyond the countys
borders for places to expand. Unless
steps are taken to encourage more COM
mercial and industrial development in
Arlington, county planners fear, neigh
boring areas will profit at Arlington's
expense. The inevitable result would be
what the Arlington Planning Commits
sion described in a report as creeping
commercial blight" with all that such
an urban disease implies in terms of
community deterioration.
The planners cited some striking
figures to show the importance of pro-
noting business development in Airing
ton. A study of tax records has shown
that whereas residential land reimburSes
the county for only SO per cent of serv-
ices rendered, commercial land repays
the county at 271 per cent rate. The
extra revenue makes up the residential
deficiency and provides for new facili-
ties and services.
But the planning group found that
because Arlington lags in providing the
degree of public services and facilities
which tends to induce business to re-
main in the county or to come there,
commercial interests are "leap-frogging"
into Fairfax County. Said the report:
THE county is rapidly assuming the
characteristics of central city with
out offering the services and facilities
Of central city. It's population under
present coming is rapidly becoming
static. It's spending for schools has
forged ahead, but that for other capital
Improvements, such as roads and park
ing needed to continue and increase the
flow of tax dollars and prevent further
deterioration and loss, has Jagged"
The report urged that Arlington be-
gin to give closer attention to the need
for planned balance and flexibility in
the development of the countys limited
land area keeping in mind that resi-
Dental property cannot by itself supply
the revenue required to provide the serv-
ices and facilities demanded by an urban
community like Arlington. In other
words, the planners feel that the time
has come to revise planning and coming
policies so as to encourage, rather than
discourage, business development in
Arlington.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
RECOGNIZING the Evil

George Meany, president Of the
AFL-CIO, actually was paying high trib-
ute to the Mcclellan Committee of the
Senate and to the process of responsible
public inquiry in his speech last week
before the federation's Industrial Union
Department. For Mr.. Meany, lifetime
career man in the labor movement and
an outSpoken foe of corruption in union
ism, acknowledged that the disclosures
before the committee have been shock
ing, that they have revealed to labor
leadership much that it did not know,
and that there is no alternative to labor
setting It's house in order.
Mr.. Meany played leading role in
bringing about the merger of the two
big labor organizations nearly two years
ago. His concern was reflected then in
the drafting of the constitution of the
new federation, in subsequent establish
ment of the Ethical Practices Commit
tee and in the continuing pressure on
member unions to abide by code Of
responsibility. The longShoremen, the
teamsters and several lesser unions have
been subjected to disciplinary action. In
recounting some of the evils revealed
by the Mcclellan committee-including
misuse of funds and the prerequisite"
of criminal record to hold office in
some unions-Mr Meany said it was
known that "Some of these things are
still going on" He made it clear, how
ever, that the federation not only will
intensity its own campaign against such
abuses but will accept reasonable cor
receive legislation from Congress to pro-
tect workers from racketeering practices.
The course that Mr.. Meany has out
lined is not an easy one to implement.
It's best chances lie, however, in frank
acceptance that the evils do exist and
that the future Of the labor movement
itself depends upon their elimination.
The Senate committee has served val
liable purpose in bringing the facts to
light. Mr.. Meany and those labor leaders
sharing his views will serve the interests
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
WSTAS IN SCIENCE
Atomic Fusion BuIks at Hornessinq
By THOMAS R. HEM

Still, the commission re-
ports, some progress has been
made towards solving the
problem.
1t is known that on the sun
enormous gravitational forces
.prevent the particles from
escaping. But any gravita-
tional forces available on
earth are much too feeble to
serve this purpose.
1t is possible, however, to
use magnetic forces to con-
fine the "plasma"-the mass
of atomic nuclei - and to
prevent it from vaporizing
the walls of the chamber in
which it is confined. If a
group Of charged particles
are in a region in which
there is no magnetic field,
the particles will move in
straight lines until they
strike one another or eventu-
ally strike the walls of the
reaction chamber. If a
magnetic field is applied.
however. the paths no longer
will be straight but will be
bent into tight spirals. "The
particles says the report,
will move down the mag
netic lines of force in q path
similar to the spiral stripes
on a BARRIERS pole" The only
way in which a charged
particle can move outwards
towards the walls of the con-
tainer is through colliding
with other particles.
Far From Solved
Still. the Commissions re-
port points out, the problem
is far from solved. Special
techniques must be used to
prevent escape of particles
from the hot region where
fusion is likely. When mag
netic force lines are used as
barriers against escape OF
plasma. pressure is built up
inside these magnetic lines
and the force lines may be-
come unstable. They be-
have" says the report, like
rubber bands around a rub
Der balloon. They tend to
bend inward and let the
plasma flow out around
them" AS yet, it is pointed
out, no way has been found
of surrounding this diff
Guilty.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
THIS AND THAT
Bv CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

Sulphur no longer has any
standing as a human remedy
except as a topical applica-
ton in cases of skin acne
and scalp troubles.
The old folks. who fought
their way West, looked upon
it as a sort of panacea. as
some of them did whisky.
The great popular remedy
of the pioneer days. however,
was some sort of "chills and
fever" remedy. as they named
1t.
Travelling medicine men al
ways had a line of these.
sometimes C imposed of a
variety of herbs, concocted
with alcohol.
People were always shiver-
ing with malaria, and taking
potions for it. few Of which
did any good, because nobody
knew what caused it.
4 y II
We are pretty SNUG, today,
with our wonder drugs and
glistening hospitals. but the
same causes which made pio-
neer days difficult are operate
ing now.
We have many more ways
of having accidents than the
old folks ever. dreamed Of.
led, of course, by the automo-
bile.
Poorly kept and de-
vitalized foods offer danger
today, just as they did then,
and the i'll effects of exposure
still endanger us.
In addition. we have a
plain danger in too-hot Of
fees, homes and public We
hicles.
Poor eating habits. despite
the gains in dietetic knowl-
edge in the last so years. are
still with us. as we see people
everywhere trying to do a
good days work on a break
fast of a cup Of coffee and a
doughnut.
Lack of real sanitation and
hygiene play their part today
as they did long ago, except
that we ought to know better
now.
AS to inadequate knowl-
edge of the prevention Of
disease, this still gives
thousands the opportunity
to get into the sickness lists.
People are not so likely to
be sneered at today If they
want to know something
about prevention of diseases.
and the popular press is full
of good writing about scien-
tific medical subjects.
There is some hope for us,
after all, but we should be
careful to try to use the
knowledge we have. and not
just read about it. If we want
to be an improvement on the
pioneers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04

Great - perhaps insuper-
able-difhculties stand in the
way Of Harvesting the power
of atomic fusion. the energy
of the hydrogen bomb.
First, temperatures Of hum
dreds Of millions Of degrees
are needed to give hydrogen
atoms sufficient energy for
the necessary reactions to
occur.
It long has been known,
says an Atomic Energy Com
mission report. that any use
full amount of power cannot
be produced by merely bonn
harding a target with any
known elementary particles.
Even in very favorable cases
the chance of a hit before
the C harge d particle is
brought to rest is something
like one in millions. However,
when hot gas is confined at
temperatures Of 100000, 900
degrees or more, the prob
ability becomes considerably
greater.
Collision Problem
For atomic nuclei to COM
bine, they must pass suffl-
GENTLY close to each other SO
that their nuclear fields will
interact. These nuclei are
all positively charged. Nor
mally they repel each other
strongly. In order to over
come this repulsive force,
they must be made actually
to collide. If the collision
takes place in just the right
way smother force far greater
than that of the repulsion
sets in. Even so, it is much
more likely that when two
particles collide they will
bounce away from each other
like rubber balls. To over
come this, they must be con-
fined closely in something
and caused to come very close
to one another many times,
until the fusion reaction
eventually happens. Now.
there is nothing known in
nature that will withstand
temperatures of 100000. 900
This is about the heat Of the
interior of the sun. Any ex-
listing matter will be vapor-
lied at such heat. So pro-
viding some container for the
fast-moving particles would
seem impossible.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
Buzzes Back

When are the airlines,
which use National Airport,
going to fly over the Potomac
River on their way West and
North? This is the route
which commercial aircraft
are supposed to use, instead
of flying at dangerous low al
titudes over the homes in our
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
hall Village section.
The vibrating noise from
this constant stream of air.
planes is deafening.
/ do not know Of any busi-
ness which operates with the
complete reconsideration OF
our citizens with which the
airlines do.
Ethel w. Thoenen.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
'FuHout Report


fallout is elusive. 1t was in
deed pathetic to see The
Star on october 26 trying to
drug the American people
with an editorial, "Fallout
Report"
The tranquilizer The Star
attempted to foist on its
readers was in a bottle la
beled: The Report of the
Atomic Energy Commissions
Advisory Committee on Biol
ogy and Medicine. And the
prescription said: Required
reading for everybody. Coat
ing the tablet was a layer OF
candy compounded of un-
quoted statements of uniden-
titled foremost authorities"
on the subject of fallout.
A substance just under
meath the candy coating was
designed to make the pill go
down faster. This substance
was slick syllogism, as slick
as the statement that Britain,
United States and Russia
should not increase the
testing rate that has been
followed up to now" We
weren't aware that the Rus
slams had an established
testing rate"
To ease nervous stomachs,
the pill was stuffed with sta
tistics: 100 to $50 persons
added to the current total
of 10000 American children
born per year with genetic
defects (no mention Of those
Japanese kids; leukemia in
the States up a trifling 1856
cases per year (still no men,
ton of those Hiroshima
tots); and general life
shortening" of "a few days
at worst" Gas if few days
multiplied by the total popu-
lation of the earth amounted
to- nothing.
In June the people had a
chance to hear from the Ma
TONS leading geneticists who
were summoned to testify
before the joint subcommittee
on atomic energy. One of
these geneticists, Hermann j.
Muller of Indiana. told the
congressional subcommittee
on June 4 that the bomb
tests have in all probability
impaired-that is, diseased,
deformed, or prematurely
Observation-Disclosures of thou
sands. or even millions. of
lives to come in future gen.
erations. Whereas the physi-
cists and biologists we're di-
vided on the effects of radia-
ton. the geneticists were not.
Although we know about
the injurious effects of stron-
tium 80 we do not know the
magnitude of the i'll effects
Of the menage Of other sub
stances attendant at the det-
onation of a nuclear weapon.
We do not know what the
wind and weather will do to
the fallout pattern created
by an explosion in the strato-
sphere. How can the Acc
advisory committee issue such
an illusionary report and how
can The Star peddle it
wrapped in such pompous
half truths?
N. A. II.
Editors note: The Acc
Committees report was
drawn up by experts Of the
caliber of DR.. Cioacchinc
Failla. DR.. Shields Warren
and DR.. John c. Bugher
N. A. H. may find it interest
ing and instructive to check
on their qualifications as out.
lined in such books as Who's
Who in American
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
Police PRESSURE

AS a resident of D. C. since
1919, I wish to protest the
order which the Commits
sioners have issued to Police
Chief Murray and thus yield
ing to a local pressure group.
1t is insulting to the grand
job that Chief Murray has
done with the Police Depart
ment.
Let the Senate District
Committee look into this
local pressure group for
causing a breakdown in police
operations.
Charles L. HUH.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04

What made the American
pioneers an unhealthy lot?
One has but to read re-
gional histories of the early
1905 to know that instead
of being supermen and wom-
en-. the pioneers often suf-
fered with illness.
One writer has gone so far
as to say they were "miser-
able, sickly creatures" which
seems going too far.
After all, they were pio-
neers, and had to take the
swamps and the like as they
found them.
Even the great forests led
to gloominess of spirit and
malaria.
Today's suburban jewellers,
moving into a well-treed area,
soon come to understand why
the pioneers cut down a
clearing as their very first
act.
The groves may have been
Gods first temples. as Bry-
ant said, but they ensure the
blues. too.
We know one suburban
home which has been done
over and still has not sold
in four months. though there
is supposed to be a shortage
of houses.
If the realtor had any
sense, he would cut down the
gloomy old pine trees in front
of the dwelling. chop down
the overgrown and dismal
evergreens. and tear out the
scraggly rhodudendrons.
Then the house would sell
overnight.
People don't want a gloomy
looking house nowadays.
They want something
bright and fresh. with the
sunshine coming into all the
rooms.
The pioneers had plenty of
fresh air. though they didn't
know anything about the
benefits of sunshine.
Suntan. as a national insti-
tuition, didn't come into being
until after World War I.
In the days of the great
migrations West, the people
had frequent accidents, and
suffered from poorly kept
foods, the effects of exposure,
poor eating habits, lack of
sanitation and hygiene. and
inadequate knowledge of the
prevention of disease.
The active outdoor life
helped. to some extent, when
it didn't ensure sickness.
A diet of too many PAN
cakes and too little fresh food
all winter led to the popu-
larity of the spring tonic.
often compounded Of mo-
lasses and sulphur.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04

midnight. This variation
may be caused by cosmic rays
coming directly from the sun.
or it may result from the de-
flecting effects Of the suns
magnetic field upon particles
approaching from outside
the solar system.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04

@. Do most cosmic rays
strike the earth during the
daylight hours when the
earth is exposed to the suns
rays?-D. H.
A. The National Bureau OF
Standards says that there
appears to be a diurnal vari-
alton with a maximum at
noon and a minimum at
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04


Cawton raises the not unre-
lated questions of the lag
ging of the UGF drive and the
failure of certain organiza-
tions to join the UGF. I hope
that someone big enough will
not only convince all fund
raising organizations to be-
come united in the UGF. but
will also make it possible for
them to do so.
This year I have reduced
my contribution to the UGF
to a token five dollars, and
have sent to Planned Parent
hood the amount I should
normally have donated to
the UGF. This I have done
because I feel that the
UGF was remiss in per-
hitting itself to be coerced
into rejecting Planned Par
enthood's application for
membership. UGF admits
that it makes no adverse
criticism of Planned Parent
hoods worthiness or effec-
tiveness, and explains that
the rejection was solely be-
cause Planned Parenthood is
controversial" in that its
detectives and methods are
unacceptable to a sizeable
section of the community. My
feeling is that it is a worthy
and effective organization
devoted to a vital cause. and
that I am not to be deferred
from supporting it by reason
of religious tenets to which
I do not subscribe: and that
no ecclesiastical body has any
right to impose its laws upon
any but its own commune
cants.
John A. MOrrisey.
\ X X
All bona f1de charities can
not join UGF. At least one
organization has been barred
from UGF membership be-
cause a religious group
threatened to boycott UGF
if the organization was adj
mitted. AS long as we have
this attitude of intolerance,
we'll not have a bigger, bet
ter and more truly United
Givers Fund" and many sep
arate charity drives will be
necessary.
w. ID. S.
X 4 \
Now that it is time to give
once more to the United
Givers Fund. let us not forget
an organization which, feel
sure, is not one of the recipi-
entS Of the money collected
by the United Givers Fund
the Humane Society of the
United States.
The Humane Society re-
Gently stated that unless we
quickly get very substantial
help we are going to be I'M
able to continue"
Can America call itself a
truly civilized country when
too many of its citizens per-
NIT. either by indifference or
consent. unspeakable and in
tolerable suffering to helpless
animals in the meat-pack-
ing industry, and the aban-
donment and destruction of
$4,000 dogs and cats every
day? If every truly compass
sionate and interested Ameri-
can will come to the help Of
such organizations as the
Humane Society of the United
States, perhaps, in time, with
their help and with educa-
ton to the public on how to
reduce the breeding of dogs
and cats. this appalling pic
ture of needless suffering in
flicted on dumb. helpless
creatures will forever be
erased from the American
scene.
Therese Ann Olson.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
Attention Ex-WAVES

The National WAVES Re-
union Committee of Detroit,
Mich, is conducting a ma
tional search for the names
and addresses of Ex-WAVES.
We are planning our 1858 re-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDriters' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to conden-
sdtiOn.