davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Phony Race Issue

Earlier this month group of Har-
lem community leaders released a state
ment which said in substance that
Manhattan Borough President Hulan E.
Jack is being prosecuted because he is
a Negro.
Mr. Jack is in hot water for accept
ing loan" of $500 from a real estate
operator to pay for redecorating his
apartment. At the time, the real estate
operator was seeking New York City ap-
proval of $50 million um-clearance
project Mr.. Jack has said he did not
vote to support his real estate friends
sponsorship of the project.
The Harlem group said "it is our
considered opinion that the controversy
was conceived in spite, agitated by peo-
pie with various axes to grind, and is
being exploited by an odd assortment Of
phony liberals, ambitious public officials,
misery profteerS and our own northern
type bigotS" 1t went on to say that ac-
ceptance Of the loan by Mr. Jack can
only be viewed as "a question of judg-
ment," and that zone must therefore
look further for the motivations of those
who seek now to beSmirch Mr.. Jack, and
through him all Negro public officials"
In other words, according to the Harlem
group, the issue here is one of race, not
Of ethics.
Now, another New York civic group,
the Citizens Union, has been heard from.
This group, asserting that it has reached
Its conclusion solely on the basis of pub
lie ethics, without regard to any question
OF violation of criminal law, contends
that Mr.. Jack "ended his usefulness as
public official" when he accepted the
loan because he failed to live up to the
standard of conduct which the public
has right to expect from its public
officials" And it insisted that this stand
ard should be applied without regard to
'race, creed or color"
This, we think, is the proper ap-
proach to the Jack case. If he has
violated any law, that is matter for
the grand jury which is investigating
the loan. But it is grossly improper, and
even ridiculous in the circumstances of
this case, to attempt to counter the ethi-
cal question by raising a phony racial
issue.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Bravo for Bishop

Permit me to say bravo"
for Jim Bishops excellent
take-off on TV broadcasts.
One need hardly resort to a
poll to know that any news
paper or periodical would
soon find itself completely out
Of circulation if it attempted
to feed its readers such indi-
gestible ham" sandwiches.
Yet that is the kind of stuff
the ears and eyes of America
are fed by the hour daily,
both on TV and radio. The
average person couldn't be
bludgeoned into spending his
nickles and dimes on a And
Now Before We Give You ="
newspaper. Yet for sheer in
dolence the viewing and
listening public is spending
millions each year on this
tax-free, indiscriminate price
wash. What price Incidence!
Ida Levine.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
How Reds Operate

Since we have heard so
much from Mr.. Khrushchev
on the superiority of Russian
communism to that of our
private enterprise system, I
think The Star should pub
lish a series of articles on the
operations Of Russian COM
munism.
I like to pride myself on
being somewhat informed on
many thlngs-but I must
sadly admit to my very lin
tied knowledge on the daily
workings of Russian COM
munism. When one thinks Of
the Soviet system it is in
terms of the state ownership
of everything and that every
one works for the govern
ment. However, the econom-
les Of the Soviet system must
be far more complex than
that.
There is a hotel. The hotel
charges rent. Does the hotel
operate to balance its books?
Who pays the employees? II
there is a loss. who makes up
the deficit? There is a thea
ter. The theater charges ad-
mission. Does the theater OPP
crate to balance its books?
Who pays the employees? II
there is a loss, who makes up
the deficit? There are per-
sonal service enterprises.
There are toy factories, news
stands, etc. How do these
operate?
In addition to the small
enterprises, there are the
large ones such as coal mines,
steel producers. etc. How do
these operate? Must each of
these units operate to cover
costs and if so how are losses
made up? There are collec-
tive farms. How do these OPP
crate? What is the status of
the employees?
In addition there are di-
rect government employees.
What is the distinction be-
tween a government employe
and an employe of a partic-
ular enterprise? Does one
have more economic security
over the other?
In short, how does the
Russian communistic system
actually work. That is what l
am inquisitive about and ]
feel certain there is much
general interest on the part
of very many individuals.
A. E. TOmkin.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Juvenile Injustice?

Judge Alfonso A. Magnolia
of Calhoun County, Michi-
gan, sentenced a 17-year-old
youth who pleaded guilty to
burglary on his first offense
to As days in solitary con-
finement on a diet of bread.
water, milk and vitamin
pills; probation for five years
following discharge. with or
ders to be in every night at
10, and not to drive a car
during the probation period.
A youth who burglarizes,
or deviateS in other ways. is
not a healthy, well-adjjusted
person. He is emotionally dis
turbed, and the act of bur-
glary is only a symptom Of
this disturbance. Whatever
it was that motivated this
youth to commit a crime is
still unknown, and still exists,
and there is no reason to as
sumo that it will not mani
fest itself again in some
other or similar form of overt
deviant behavior. All that
has been accomplished with
this youth is that he now
possesses a new fear, a fear
of jails. His fear of jails, if it
is strong enough, may per-
hapS prevent him from COM
mitting another crime. Gen.
eralizing from this. then, the
solution to many of society's
problems is quite obvious:
Inculcate sufficient fear and
guilt in people so they will
become docile, helpless crea-
lures who will conform to
and obey society's demands.
Actually, although this might
! appeal to some, it is not a
solution at all. in any sense
of the wbrd. A person, to be
mentally healthy, must be
able to give vent to his emo
tions, to eXternalize them.
Mental institutions are full
of people, who, for various
reasons, were unable to do
this. Many people who COM
NIT suicide, do so, in part,
because of this same inhibi-
ton.
Helping a youth become a
happy, well-adjusted and
constructive member of So
ciety is not accomplished
by administering medicine
such as Judge Magnolia did
to this youth. 1t can be ac-
complished only by trying to
discover the basic problems
that resulted in the symp-
tom of committing a GRIM
inal act, and what caused
them, and then having these
problems understood and
ultimately resolved.
AS an editorial stated,
there may indeed be a great
lull in juvenile delinquency
in Calhoun County.
But at what expense?
Sanford A. Berman.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Fairfax freeze

Proposals of the Virginia Advisory
Legislative Council, while not absolutely
guaranteeing the territorial integrity of
Fairfax, would go long way toward
preserving what remains of the annex
ationharassed county. The councils
realistic program has been offered as
substitute for the county's plan for a
legislative ban on any further annex
alton suits against it. Such a ban, the
council pointed out, would require
amendment of the State constitutions
move presumably deemed impracticable
and undesirable.
The council recommendations were
released only a few days before the
county feels the effect of the latest legal
lied encroachment on its land. The
town of Fairfax on New Years Day will
bite off 312-square-mile chunk of the
county which it serves as seat of govern
ment. The annexation was authorized by
three-judge court and has been upheld
by the States highest tribunal, the
Supreme Court of Appeals. This was only
the latest of a series of inroadS on
county territory in recent years by towns
within the county or cities adjacent to
1t. County officials, alarmed at the steady
nibbling away Of valuable tax property,
have planned to ask the General Assem-
bly, to give it some protection against
future raids"
The VALC proposals were prepared
in answer to the countys plan for relief.
The two more important suggestions
are for reorganization into urban
county forms of government, with pro-
visions for freezing" unincorporated
towns so that they would not pose any
future annexation threat to the county.
However, the four towns already incor-
porated-Fairfax, Herndon, Vienna and
Clifton-would not be prevented from
filing annexation suits when they
pleased. Nor would the adjacent cities of
Falls Church and Alexandria.
If the Legislature should approve the
program, Fairfax County voters would
decide in referendum next November
whether to adopt an urban form of gov
ernment, with its partial safeguards
against annexation, or retain its present
county executive" system Since main
tenance of the status quo would mean
continuance of present uncertain con-
ditions with respect to territorial integ-
rity, the county undoubtedly will want
Evening star., 1959-12-29

purchasing $3,366.41 worth
of paintings, but neglects to
say how much the gallery
itself purchased. I under
stand through a gallery
spokesman it was a substan-
tial amount.
Critics found the Metro
politan Art Exhibition (22d
annuaD at the Smithsonian
a very interesting show be-
cause, it had many we'll
known first rate artists"
represented. 1t was praised
by a Metropolitan Museum
top Staffer as the finest show
in the Washington area in
10 years. Exhibitors received
SO bona fide bids from the
public locally and from var
ious parts of the Nation
CO. ing 1T works of art.
Total sales volume is inde-
terminate, pending final ne
gotiationS on Is works. 1t
represented all styles Of
painting, including realistic,
impressionistic. and abstract
nonobjective, interviewer in
a beautifully balanced exhi-
bition. with tribute to all
participants-and malice to-
ward none.
The Corcoran Gallery can
retrieve its position in the
art world and command the
respect of competent artists,
critics and the public alike,
when it again selects works
of art based on quality and
fine standards of painting
which have stood the test of
time, regardless of style.
Francis c. Peters,
President, American Art
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Into q New Decade


end Of a momentous decade during his
work-and-play vacation at Augusta. 1t
has been a decade in which he has
had one of the most dramatic roles,
and which in history will bear the clear
imprint of his own concept of service
and leaderShip-both domeStically and
internationally. 1t was in keeping with
this concept that he closed the book
on a distinguished military career, to
undertake new and greatly demand
ing one in politics.
AS of now, Mr. Eisenhower has lit
tie more than year to serve as Chief
Executive of the United States In what
may have been considered normal times
Of the past, this probably would be a
year marked by diminishing influence
and activity alike This is not a likely
prospect now.
When the 86th Congress assembled
last January, it was the most heavily
Democratic since early New Deal years.
The Democratic Partys sweeping VIC
tory in the previous November was
widely interpreted as mandate" from
the people to oppose the Republican
administration, and there were expec-
tationS that the real leadership in Gov
ernment would rest on Capitol Hill.
For variety Of reasons, it did not work
out quite that way. Among those rea-
sons was the public support rallied by
and to the President on several key
domestic issues.
Significant, too, and particularly
so since the retirement and death of
Secretary Of State Dulles last spring,
was change in the manner of dealing
with foreign affairs. In short, the pace
toward personal diplomacy" which
had been noticeable earlier, quickened
greatly. Again with public support, Mr..
Eisenhower took an increasingly vigor-
Gus part. The two most spectacular
instances, of course, were the visit to
the United States of Soviet Premier
Khrushchev and the Presidents recent
goodwill mission to three continents.
AS he rests" this week in Augusta,
the President is facing no letdown in
the weeks and months Immediately
ahead. Already scheduled before the
national politics Of an election year
claims the spotlight in early summer
are further ventures in personal di-
plomacy"-among them visit here by
President DeGaulle of France, the East
West summit meeting in April or May
and probable goodwill trip to Latin
America. Even sooner, on the domestic
front, will be the return of Congress
on January 6 and the usual series of
presidential messages to the lawmakers.
At least one, the State-of- the Union
message, will be delivered in person.
Almost sure to end up again in the
Presidents hands will be the problem
in the steel industry, with the presi-
Dental fact-f1nding board due to re-
port by January on the prospects for
averting another shutdown of the in
duStry.
Weather permitting, there is no
doubt that Mr.. Eisenhower will find
some time for golf at Augusta and
certainly some bridge 1t is even more
certain that he will need time for
work, preparing for events that as
suredly will have deep impact on yet
another momentouS decade.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Matter of Perspective

Replying to Herman w.
Williams, jr, I point out that
Miss Bergman of The Star
and Mrs. Ahlander of the
Post have rendered the long
suffering public, and first
rank artists, a signal service
in placing the Corcoran Area
Exhibition in proper perspec-
tive.
Mr. Williams defense of
his policy in the current
area exhibition points up the
weaknesses in this policy,
which sacrifices first rate
artists on the altar of ques-
tionable novelty, giantism,
and eroticism, in the name of
avante garde art. BY virtue of
elimination and selection, the
Corcoran Gallery land other
United States galleries) have
dictated the vogue and taste
in art for the past decade by
planned censorship. Compe-
tent artists who have studied
and sought truth in sincerity
of effort in accordance with
recognized standards and
values, have in effect been
told to junk what they have
learned, and paint what the
galleries dictate, or you just
don't get in!
Many artists have been
bamboozled into succumbing
to the drip and drizzle"
school of painting in order
to have their entries &C
ceptedl Now they are over
run by the whirling slap-the-
canvas incompetents - the
shoot it from a grease =
gun novelty boys and paster-
uppers.
For Mr.. Williams to say
that there is little a gallery
can do to encourage artists
to submit work to a juried
exhibition" indicates he
either lacks knowledge con-
corning the desires of local
artists, or is voicing nonsense
Does Mr.. Williams think
that rated artists are going
to compete with the Chin
panzees, charlatans, and "2O
easy lesson" boys?
Mr.. Williams points with
pride to the eloquent trib-
ute paid by the public" in
Evening star., 1959-12-29
Stevenson's Views

Judging by Adlai E. Steven
sons article in Foreign At
fairs magazine, it is evident
he has learned nothing and
forgotten nothing since
F. D. R. perpetrated the
greatest blunder of the GEN.
tury by recognizing the MUIR
derous Soviet regime. The
simon-pure administrations
of Roosevelt Truman have
brought us to our present
impasse, but Mr.. Stevenson
apparently can see nothing
wrong with that. Loyalty to
party, apparently, is more
important than the survival
of the Nation. The Re-
publican administration is
trying to extricate US from
the traps we were dragged
into by the last two Presi-
dents. but to Mr.. Stevenson
all that is negative and de-
fensive." His confederates in
1941 offered Stain the lives
and fortunes of Americans to
help rescue the Stain murder
regime which has since
grown more menacing than
ever, and did not have the
brains to demand a quid pro
quo, although Stain was
fully prepared to grant con-
cessions, including civil liber-
ties to the Russian peoples.
That" alone could have
brought about the early liqui-
dation of the Soviet regime.
Despite the costly expert
ences with the Soviet regime
since the war, Mr.. Stevenson
would have us extend further
cooperation with the enemy
into fields of space explora-
ton and economic aid. And
he has the temerity to urge
us to enter into agreement
with the violators of over
1000 treaties, providing or
ganized nonintervention."
If Mr.. Stevenson truly be-
lieves that such agreement
would be worth the paper
written on, then he is not
only a fool and an ignoramus,
but the biggest idiot ever to
have aspired to the White
House.
]. Anthony Marcus.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
TAKOMA PARK Md
Dear Sir:

AAOMA HAfln, MQ.
Dear Sir:
you recently wrote an ar
ticle about the use of false
book jackets to throw gawk-
ers off the scent. You seemed
to think that if the jackets
bore titles such as The Es-
sentials of Paleontology,' no
body would give a second
look.
do you mean to imply
that many people might lack
an overwhelming interest in
stratography, paleontology
and mineralogy?
IF this is true, this is an
appalling state of affairs.
Don't you realize that this is
the stuff whereof the earth is
made? Where would you and
your friend Templeton Jones
stand were it not for these
components? Let's have no
more irreverent allegationSI
Let me suggest some sub
stitutes for your selections.
How about The Structure of
Mongolia Analysis of Vari-
able Mish-Mash,' or 'Struc-
tural Elements of Lay Fig
ures.'
Sincerely, G. L."
&x #%
Anything is good, for this
purpose, that throws the rub
berneck guy of the track.
1t is an interesting psyche
logical problem, why people
who love to read do not like
strangers to see what they
are reading.
1t strikes the honest reader
as wrong to have some pop
eyed fellow with nothing else
to do suddenly sink his eyes
into your reading matter.
Why doesn't he mind his
own business?
A sense of shame, almost,
comes over the reader. He
wants to be alone with his
reading, even in a public
place.
They handle this better in
libraries.
Mostly the place is so
built that one reader cannot
see another.
The rule of silence, too, is
enforced. \ y y y
This golden rule broke
down, however, once.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

Temp Jones and a friend
were in a semiprivate library.
Washington is full of these
small libraries. There are
probably more of them here
than in any city in the world.
Jones was talking quietly
with his friend, when a fell
low who had been striding
back and forth suddenly con-
fronted him.
What is going on here?"
the man asked. with mean
ing, or so he thought.
Temp Jones didn't choose
to catch the meaning.
Nothing" he said, cas-
ually, except two gentlemen
minding their own business"
y y
OF course, you can't talk
that way on a bus to a
stranger.
He wouldn't understand, if
you did.
You just have to put up
with him, if he insists on
looking over your shoulder
and reading along with you.
Jones recalled another time
a stranger interfered with his
reading habits.
He was on a bus, going
home with his big evening
paper, and a stranger who
had been watching him sud-
denly spoke.
1t is the sudden attack. Of
course, that usually carries
the day, but not with Jones.
He hates sudden attacks.
May I look at your pa
PERI" the man asked.
Now, what do you do in
such a situation?
Here is the way Jones ham
died it: He looked the man
over. then said. ~ don't like
my paper all mussed up by
strangers. I'm sorry, but that
is the way I am"
This reminded Jones of an.
other personal story. He was
on the same bus, and COM
planning bitterly about the
place being too hot.
A stranger smiled, and
said: II have Travelled all
over the world, and I have
never found comfort in trav-
cling yet. And I don't be-
lieve you will, either"
Evening star., 1959-12-29
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry Driter'S correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to conden-
Sdtion.
Evening star., 1959-12-29
THE POLITICAL MILL
Rockefeller JoIts the G. O. p.
By GOULD LINCOLN

in New Hampshire are talk
ing now about keeping
Rockefeller on the presiden-
tial primary ballot in that
State, whose March 8 pri-
mary is the first Of the
presidential preference tests
to be held next year.
But as things now stand,
Vice President Nixon is a
shoo-in for the COP. presi-
dental nomination. And as
such he will be a target for
the Democrats from now on.
This does not mean Mr..
Nixon cannot win election.
He has shown himself a very
able man, a good cam
paigner. He would, indeed,
make an excellent President
of the United States, a strong
President. The Democrats
have a real problem on their
hands when it comes to
selecting their own nominee
for President. They are
scarcely likely to be so foolish
as to believe that ANY Dem
ocrat can beat Nixon" al
though many of them will
make such a boast. But at
least the Democrats will
know when they get down to
the business of naming their
candidate just who the Re-
publican will be - Nixon.
This despite the fact that the
Democratic National Conven-
ton will be held in mid-July
and the Republican conven-
ton the end of that month.
Already the Democrats
have started their argument
that liberal Republicans and
independent voters, having
been denied any opportunity
to support Gov. Rockefeller
who bears a liberal stamp,
should move over to the
Democratic side of the fence
in the coming campaign.
How effective this will be
remains to be seen. Vice
President Nixon is no dyed
in-the-wool conservative, al
though the Democrats are
attempting to picture him as
the darling of the Repub-
lican Old Guard. The Vice
President, in his speeches
around the country-once he
ecomes the Republican
nominee. will lay down his
own programs and political
philosophy. If times remain
good-as expected in many
quarters-and peace prevails
with perhaps a slackening Of
the cold war, beating Mr..
Nixon will be a tough Job
for any of the Democratic
possibilities for the presi-
dental nomination. The two
so-called leaders for the
Democratic nomination today
are Senator John F. Ken
nedy of Massachusetts, and
Adlai Stevenson of Illinois.
1t is decidedly not clear that
either one of them can de-
feat Mr.. Nixon.
Early G. o. p. Start
One advantage the early
decision on Nixon may give
the Republicans-they can
start very early on their or
ganization work.
Already pressure is building
up in Republican quar-
ters to persuade Mr.. Rookie
feller to take second place on
the party's national ticket.
If Gov. Rockefeller would
consent to run for Vice Pres
ident, it would doubtless
strengthen the G. O.. P. ticket.
He could if he wished do this
for his party. But the Rookie
feller statement was far
stronger in its refusal to
take a vice presidential NOM
ination than in his denial he
would run for President.
Furthermore, Mr.. Rockefeller
has yet to say he intends to
work hard for Mr.. Nixon
after the latter has been
O0rninatpd