davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
What q Day to Gooft

Could someone inform me
just how the Post Office De-
partment decides which let
ters to deliver on a certain
date, and which ones not to
deliver?
On February Is at 10 am,
one-half a block from where
l live, I posted some valen-
tines for my family and some
children in my block, think
ing I was mailing them in
time to be delivered on VAL
entine Day.
You can imagine how !
felt when I received a card
from my family, but the ones
I mailed them were not de-
tvered.
l called one of my neigh
borS across the street to see
if a card I sent there was
delivered. 1t was, and ]
learned that a member OF
that family had mailed a val
entine to his mother and one
to his grandmother at the
same address. at the same
time and in the same mail
box. His mother received
hers. but his grandmother'S
was not delivered.
Mildred N. Chapman.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
Disappointing Sesqui

This year we are celebrat-
ing the sesquicentennial Of
the birth Of Abraham Lincoln.
February IL was. of course,
the actual anniversary, but
since 1t was not a holiday
for schoolchildren. my Is
year-old son asked me to
take him downtown the fol-
lowing Saturday especially to
see the Healy portrait of
Lincoln. 1t is a splendid one.
Usually it hangs upstairs in
the Corcoran Gallery. To
our disappointment we dis
covered, on this special Lin
coin week end, that it was
not there but was on loan to
a New York gallery.
So we proceeded, in spite
Of the rain, to the National
Gallery. We found that they
do have two portraits there.
one Of them by Healy. But
once again, no Lincoln! We
we're told that one of the
portraits was also on loan.
The Healy portrait was re-
ported as "in storage"
Surely. during this Febru-
airy Of all Februaries, such a
treasure as q contemporary
portrait of Lincoln might bet
ter be placed on exhibition.
Does it not seem a pity that,
in the Nations Capital ON
Lincoln'S birthday, there
should not have been one of
these portraits of the Great
President on view in a promi-
nent place in at least one of
our great galleries, for school
children and others to see?
Edith C. Lowry.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
CHALLENGE of the Sea

That the sea holds a challenge for
men Of science as hard to resist as that
OF Queer space is evident from the report
of the Committee on Oceanography Of
the National Academy Of Sciences and
the National Research Council. If the
recommendations of this distinguished
group are adopted by the Government,
mans accelerated efforts to explore
space beyond the earths atmosphere will
be matched by intensive explorations of
the mysterious depths of the oceans
And the knowledge gained from the
probes downward could have far-reach-
ing repercussions in the fields of science,
military strategy and economics.
According to the study committee,
oceanography defined as "the scientific
study Of all aspects of the oceans, their
boundaries and their content'') has
been sadly neglected in the past. Yet. as
the report pointed out, two-thirds Of
the earth's surface is covered by water
water which affects climate, provides
transportation, is an important source
of food and serves both as bulwark
VI uC1ClloC dllO q llCdAlo VA dOboSh' 4CN
much of the ocean depths is UNI
explored. Down there are abySSeS seven
or more miles deep and mountains rival
ing some of the talleSt found on land.
Forms of marine life as yet unknown
are believed to exist in the. dark areas
at the bottom of the ocean.
To sum up, the committee said:
mans knowledge Of the oceans is
meager indeed when compared with
their Importance to him." The paucity
of knowledge, the scientists stressed,
might we'll result in our being placed
in a precariouS position from the scien-
tific, chronological and military points
of view" To overcome the inadequacy Of
information, the committee recon-
mended vastly Stepped-up program OF
basic and applied researches on and
under the oceans, largely financed by
the Federal Government but with the
cooperation of colleges and private
research institutions. Specifically, it
was recommended that basic research
be at least doubled during the next ten
years, accompanied by a worldwide sur
vey of the oceans. Applied research,
especially with respect to military de-
Tense, marine resources and marine
radioactivity, also would be drastically
expanded, with the Navy and other in
terested agencies taking the lead.
All of this exploring would require
far larger fleet of research ships than
now is available, augmented by weird
special SubmerSibles of the bathyscaph
type capable of resting on the oceans
floor. The manned space ships" of the
sea would venture to hitherto I'M
explored "deeps" in quest of information
which might prove to be of great i'm
portance to mankind. The undertake
ings proposed by the committee would
be costlyEbut, judging from the report,
an investment in this sort of down.
under space probing could produce re-
suits as valuable as those expected to
be gained from even more costly VEN
lures in the skies.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
Evils of Drink

The February 9 issue of
The Star reported how a
father of four was killed in
his own living room, by an
automobile driven by a man
subsequently charged (among
other things with driving
while drunk. On the same
page of The Star was an arti-
Gle telling of Maryland Dele
gate Alger Barbee's plans to
introduce q bill TO make it
easier to drink in Mont
gomery County.
l recall a public hearing
about two years ago, attended
by hundreds of people, at
which not one voice was
raised in favor of proposed
relaxation of liquor laws. Elk
cept for a would-be liquor
dealer (who left Immediately
after making his statement ,
the sentiment was unanimous
against any relaxation of the
present laws in this county.
Is it now Mr.. Barbee'S purpose
to introduce this legislation
without running the risk of
such expressions of public
diSpleaSure?
Orville w. ZaStrOw.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
Housing Critic

Proponents Of public hous-
ing appropriations should be
practical! A glance at your
newspaper will show that the
Russians will be dropping
atom-bombs on the United
States long before the pro-
posed IS billion for public
housing can be spent. Why
unbalance the Presidents
budget with that item? Why
not add that figure to the APP
preparations for national de-
Tense? Even if some of the
slums could be cleared and
part Of the public-aSsistance
housing be built before the
attacks start, why put up a
lot of new targets for the
atom-bombs to demolish?
1t is interesting to contrast
the population migrstions
now occurring in the two
countries. In the United
States, in the face of the
likelihood of mass destruc-
ton by atom bombs, the
movement from country to
city continues and is accel-
Grated. one of the causes
for the acceleration being
cheap rents in public assist
ance housing. In Russia, on
the other hand, We read
that the cities are providing
a labor force for the COM
munal farms. and even the
school enrollments are being
cut so THAT school, children
can work in the country. A
wide dissemination of our
population was advocated for
the United States soon after
our atom bomb secrets were
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
Lawrence on Lincoln

Congratulations to David
Lawrence for his article on
Lincoln February IL. He
successfully portrays the true
Lincoln. l long ago grew
tired of the textbook version,
or more appropriately, story
book version, of this honor
able man and his views.
Our forefathers divided
the Federal Government into
three distinct branches. The
legislative body was intended
to make our laws. The judi
ciary body was intended to
interpret the laws that were
passed by the legislature
The executive branch was
instituted to enforce these
laws.
The reason for this govern
mental division was to keep
any one group of people from
becoming too powerful. In
other words, each individual
branch acts as a check on the
other two. In theory this is
the best form of government
for the people. In practice.
however, the legislative and
executive branches have let
the judiciary body go unre-
strained. They have not en-
deavored to limit its powers.
Now it is too late! The Sup
RENE Court can now make
and pass its own laws. This
in itself is a serious violation
of our Constitution. The Fed
eral Government has sup
pressed the majority of the
people of the South by this
new power invested in the
Supreme Court.
VirCiI Tee
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Three EpochoI Arctic Explorations
By THOMAS R. HENRI

ton. but no clue as 10 what
eventually had happened to
it. Franklin and all his men
had disappeared. apparently
without a trace.
Following these journeys.
Hall was beyond question the
foremost American familiar
with the Arctic. For the first
time after the Civil War
there was revived interest in
reaching the North Pole. For
his third voyage the U. S.
Navy provided him with a
ship, the Polaris, and crew.
The Polaris reached 81 north.
Hall discovered Cape Polaris
on the north coast of Green
land which Comdr. Reinhardt
describes as the worlds
greatest natural airf1eld. 1t
Is a lakeland promontory,
snow free the year around,
with runways more than 20
miles long.
The ship put into winter
quarters. There Hall dropped
dead with a stroke. Most Of
the crew finally escaped after
a winter of extreme hard
ship, Comdr. Reinhardt
found some Of their canned
meat, put up in tin cans, still
edible. At one point the
Atka put into Halls Thank
God Harbor, now accurately
located for the first time.
Greedy Remembered
The Atka also followed in
part the road of Gen. Greely.
1t stopped and the ships
bells were tolled off Cape
Sabin, Ellesmere Land. the
site of Fort Conger, where
all but six Of Greely's party
persisted Of starvation in the
terrible arctic winter of 1882
after two relief expeditions
had failed to reach them,
Greely's job had been 10
establish weather and mag
netic observing station dur
ing the first international
polar year. His voyage was
notable especially from the
fact that one of his Junior Of
ficers, 1t. Lockwood, achieved
by a long sledge journey the
farthest north, SO. UP to the
time of Admiral Robert f.
Peary. The Atka crew found
a 5-foot-high stone cairn still
standing over the graves Of
the Greely party and recov-
cred a small hand-drawn
map.
Greedy himself was rescued
and later became chief signal
officer of the Army. He lived
in Washington we'll into our
own times. A vivid memory
of early days as a reporter
here is that Of being sent to
interview the old gentleman
in his Georgetown home, He
was then very old and feeble.
and lay in bed reading his
Bible.
The Atka found quite q few
changes at Cape Sabine from
what was expected from
Greely's accounts. Musk oxen,
for example, now are abun-
dant there. Polar bears, q
great nuisance to the Greedy
party, have almost completely
disappeared.
1t was determined that 1t
is quite possible to break
through the ice to Thule,
northernmost American air
base, with provisions and re-
placements as early as July
l. when the l2-foot- thick
ice begins to "rot" and is
ooUarnl u-;fl y,AnI~
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18

This column Is about three
epics Of arctic exploration
the voyage of the Atka last
summer, the almost century
old voyages Of a New Hamp-
shire blacksmith and q Civil
War general.
First the Atka-neweSt and
most powerful Of the Nays
icebreakers. 1t followed in
the farthest north the frozen
sea paths Of Charles P. Hall
and Gen. A. w. Greedy. It
has mapped accurately for
the first time more than 1000
miles OF the deeply indented
coast of North Greenland.
The job undertaken by the
topographers aboard involved
photographs Of the shore
landscape every 80 seconds,
These photos were tied in
with iirst-order reference
points. It is notable that al
most every point determined
is way of the location on
maps made UP to the present.
Mea W lille photographers
aboard made more than 49,
900 water soundings.
The Aka, commanded by
Comdr. w. H. Reinhardt. had
adventures of its own. 1t To-
Gated. for example, the COS
mic ray north pole" the
point of least cosmic radia-
ton reaching the earth's sur
face in the Northern Henri
sphere, at rs north. 1t located
new channels through the tor
tuous waters between Green
land and Ellesmere Island
and "the largest natural air
field in the world" 1t evac-
uated-thiS was the major
purpose of the voyage-two
parties of International Geo.
physical Year scientists.
Nature in the Raw
Its crew witnessed one
sided battles between giant
hares, standing almost 3 feet
tall, and bloodthirsty arctic
foxes. A hare could break
the back of it's intending
predator by one blow with its
powerful hind legs. 1t found
a fisherman's paradise with
lines thrown from q low
flying helicopter. This was a
rather dangerous sport, for
the sea trout were big and
strong enough to pull the
nimrod out of the flying
craft unless he braced him
self.
But above all, the voyage
Of the Aka was q voyage
into epic and almost for
gotten history. In a shell
tered North Greenland cove,
for example, it visited, for
the first time since his death
in 1871. the cairn-covered
grave of Charles Francis
Hall. This New Hampshire
blacksmith should rank in
history as among the great
est of all arctic explorers.
Thrilled by accounts of
expeditions sent in search of
the English explorer. Sir
John Franklin, and almost
completely without funds. he
set out on his own in 1860.
Accompanied only by Eski-
mos, he sledged across Baffin
Island, making many i'm
portant geographical obser-
vations. -Four years later,
still with only Eskimo. COM
panions, he made a similar
journey across sWampy,
graSs-covered King William
Land. There Franklin had
preceded him. He found
relics of the British eXpedi-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
Trimmed as Usual

Current hearings on the
D. c. budget indicate that
local residents are in for
another Operation Short
change"
The outline boilS down to
two major factors: Cd Con-
gress has no equitable for
mula for determining the
Federal contribution: ~ the
present "make-up-the-differ-
ence" method of Federal con-
tribution permits "overtax-
ing" of District residents, the
cutting down Of essential
services, or both.
The problem Of submitting
a budget where so per cent
of the District is taxable and
so per cent (the Federal
Government) is nontaxable
tends to cut down needs and
services from the Commits
sioners' budget. These are
further trimmed by the
mathematical know-how of
the Budget Bureau, so that
when the budget reaches
Congress it doesn't have a
fun picture of needs or serv-
ices but a trimmed-down YER
sion based upon the ability of
the so per cent to support
the entire load to the best of
their ability.
D. c. residents get a fur
ther trimming when author
izations Of $32 million get
reduced to $40 million. But
how many million or billion
dollar businesses could get
by with a local or State tax
equal to about .00026 or less
than 13/50,000 of one cent
per cost of operations?
BASED upon a SIT billion
budget.)
Some members of Con-
gress have been trying to
justify the shortchange by
using comparable" statis-
tics; i.e., that D. c. tax rates
are favorable to other cities
of like size. Such price"
comparisons are what every
housewife has learned to
suspect. Price doesn't mean
a thing. It's what you get
for your money that counts
Unfortunately, Congress is
thinking almost exclusively
in terms of budget prices
Thus, by reducing the budget
land value received Con-
gress makes profit" at the
expense of D. c. taxpayers.
Paternalistic or otherwise,
this is not without the pale
of suspect ethics, and Con-
gress. like Caesars wife,
should be above suspicion.
Until such time as a fair
share formula is devised,
D. c. residents may we'll feel
that they are supporting the
Federal Government out of
local taxes and the Federal
Government will continue to
operate, through Congress.
under the hallucinstion that
it is financially supporting
D. c. residents.
Milton A. Mandel.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
REQUIRED Reodinq".

DR.. Frederick Brown Har-
ris' column "Spires of the
Spirit" last Sunday should be
required reading for every
American. His message should
be distributed among all
school children, be promul-
gated in all industries. be
read in all churches through
out the land. I would also
recommend that The Star
publish the book What We
Must Know About Commu-
niSm. which is recommended
by DR.. Harris, in serial form.
W. J. r.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18

cation as "unwarranted," an opinion
shared by many Of the students and
faculty members. And the reaction at
the General Assembly TO Mr. Machen's
plan for an inquiry has been most unen-
thusiastic. to say the least Under the
circumstances, the Prince Georges dele
gate ought to toss in the sponge with
out further ado.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
For Meter Maids

When will we awaken to
the fact that women or ham
dicapped men can service our
parking meters, thus freeing
trained policemen to concen-
trate on law enforcement?
If there is a police shortage,
the saving of many police
man-hours of officers servic-
ing meters can be the equiv
alent of a larger police force.
Let's have the meter maids.
now already performing in
more progressive parts of our
country.
James Carr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18

The squirrels give my
mother more enjoyment than
the birds but sometimes they
are a bit piggish and they
keep the birds away too
much"
The gray squirrel is nerv-
Gus, highly organized animal,
and he needs a great deal Of
food.
Actually, he only seems
to keep the birds away.
They soon get on to how
to handle him, and probably
eat as much as ever in the
long run.
The way they do this can
be seen by close watching
They fly away, it is true, as
the bushy tailed ones APP
proach. But they do not go
very far, knowing a thing or
two themselves about this pig
in fur.
They realize, from very
close and personal contact,
that this is a nervous fellow.
indeed. A squirrel simply
cannot stay still in one place
very long. He may not run
far, but run he must.
The birds, seated close by,
fly in at once, grab a seed,
and then fly out.
In this way they have to
work p bit harder for their
dinner, but there rs evidence
that they do not enjoy it as
much or more.
Squirrels are wasteful, they
scatter the seeds they do not
like in processing the feed
ing station for their favorites,
the sunfiower seeds.
If the watcher looks long
enough. he will see the birds
coming back to the edges.
even while Master SQUIRREL is
in the station, and eating
from the perimeter.
Another trick of the furry
one is to take his catch to
a tree and eat it there.
This diversion also gives
the small birds a chance to
run in.
A squirrel simply cannot
resist the lure of running,
every now and then.
He scampers, that is the
word. from where he is to
where he is going.
1t is all on the order OF
a supervitamined child, so
full of pep he simply must
run and jump
Sometimes you see a small
child just jumping up and
down. in sheer exubersnce.
1t is the same with the
squirrel. If one of these fell
lows jumps up and down. in
one place. it usually means he
IL angry at some one, maybe
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

another squirrel, perhaps q
human in his environment.
If angry enough, he will
cling to the trunk of a tree
and bark at the offender.
x X y -f.
When a squirrel, every now
and then, decides to make a
run for it, he selects a friend.
if possible, and starts the
chase ....
Such acrobatics are seldom
seen in nature, being a
combination of fun and frolic
with the more serious propo-
sition of earning a living.
The idea may come to a
squirrel right in the middle OF
devouring a sunflower seed.
He drops it instantly and
axes of.
He may not return for IS
minutes, half an hour, all
day, maybe never. He is a
volatile creature, and eats
where he finds food.
Every such chase gives the
birds a chance to fly in.
So we may assume, and
we feel correctly, that
squirrels at a bird feeding
station really do not hurt
the birds in any way.
They feed amicably to-
gether, even though at times
a squirrel will make a dart
at a songster.
The birds seem TO know
that the thing is only in fun.
We have often wondered If
two such unrelated creatures
can get along together as
well as this, why human
people can't. too.
There can be very little
doubt in this scientific age
that all peoples are very
closely related, after all.
Squirrels and birds show
us how it can be done. even
in the face of the greatest
competition in the world, that
for food.
1t is highly satisfactory,
in the cold of winter, to look
out at the animated scene at
the bird feeding station, and
to feel assured that both
birds and squirrels are eating
well.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
'Lenten THOUGHTS

Your "Lenten Thoughts
series is commendable. We
read it with great interest. It
represents a public service
unusually well handled.
David E. Kucharsky,
News Editor,
Christianity Today
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tcriterS' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to conden-
sdtton.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18

handed over to FDR's Rus
sian allies. Whatever became
Of that plan?
Richard L. Feldman,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18

O. Who wrote the poem
beginning, There is no
frigate like a book to take
US lands awsy?"-R. B.
A. 1t is by Emily Dicktn-
son.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-18
Questions and Answers
Ry THE HASKIN SERVICE

reader can get an answer. o.
mail, 70 any question Of fact by
writing The Star Information Be-
resu 63j ? street NV, Washington
=. D c. Please iBcl0se return post,
envelope
The Nome nugget., 1959-05-15
IS. E.. Alaska Civil Defense Volunteers
 Resent Legislature Criticism of Plans

Based on a house to house sur vey, we know we can shelter a minimum of 25,0GO people, that is allowing 20 square feet of space per person in heated shelter with utilities available.
 T might add that this work has been done on a voluntary basis and very little civil defense money has been spent nthis area. Tn fact, we have not been able to get funds for booklet such as the one distributed in the Anchorage area"
 "Of more than IT legislators in vited to last Saturdays civl de- fense exercise in Seward, one showed up." the Greater Seward CD director said.
 ''The legislators have failed to meet with the federal people who have requested meeting. It the attack is a lack of knowledge on the legislators part.
 ''As to criticism of storage and handling materials, they (the legis- lators) haven't supplied funds for supply officer to check on stor- age, the Air Force is well satis- fled with the storage of supplies here in Seward.
 "Civil defense is everyone's business. That should include the legislators. Instead of seeking faults, they should see what they can do to help" Lowell said.