davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Smaller and Smaller

Another of the many marVelS OF
our age is the naturalization of cleo
tronic equipment. Such equipment has
been undergoing steady reduction in
size and weight over the past several
years, and now there is good prospect
that various electronic systems can be
made 1000 times smaller and lighter
than the ones already in existence.
At any rate, this is the promise
implicit in the work done by couple
of physicists associated with the West
inghouse Electric Corporation. The
physicistS-R L. Longini and A. I. Ben
nett-have learned how to grow" cryS-
tails of germanium, metallic element
used for the manufacture of such mag
ical gadgetS as transistorS. AS result,
according to Colonel Clarence H. Lewis
OF the Research and Development Com
mand at Andrews Air Force Base, pio-
neering area of molecular electronics"
has been opened up, and there is reason
to believe that the day is coming when
miniaturized equipment will be almost
microscopic. For instance" in the
Colonel'S words, this new concept could
take the average pocket-size radio cir
cuitry, excluding the power supply and
speaker, down to the size of the head
of a match"
All this, it need hardly be said, has
great potential significance for things
like space vehicles 1t also has numer-
Gus down-to-earth possibilities for the
man in the street, including the fellow
who is enchanted with portable radio
or TV Sets-and the smaller the better.
Quite obviously, whether for good or
i'll, progress keeps marching on.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29

effort originating in his country. Act
ing Cuban Prime Minister Sanchez an
nounced in Havana that any Cuban
violating his governments proclaimed
policy Of nonintervention would be
brought before the military courts.
whatever the exact makeup or
strength of the revolutionary force,
there is little doubt that the situation
is potentially dangerous and that time
may be determining factor. Senator
Smathers, Florida Democrat, told the
Associated Press he had talked to Presi-
dent de la Guardia of Panama by tele-
phone and quoted the latter as saying
the government can hold out If the
fighting is contained In the coastal
mountain region, but that there would
be serious trouble" If 1t breaks out in
the capital city. The Senator referred
to the revolutionary effort as "Commu-
unsupported" 1t is, in any case,
threat to orderly government, and per-
hapS to hemisphere security, that should
be eliminated as quickly as possible.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Political Field Day

The Senate, bowling at the altar OF
petty politics, has overridden an Essen
hover veto. And there wasn't even a
semblance Of good reason for doing it.
Mr.. Eisenhower vetoed bill which
would have stripped the Secretary OF
Agriculture of control over Rural Elec-
trification Administration loans-a con-
troll first vested in the Secretary 20 years
ago pursuant to a Hoover Commission
recommendation. The effect is to leave
Mr.. Benson with overall responsibility
for REA operations, but with no control
over its lending activities.
Why did six Republicans join SO
Democrats in voting to override the veto
of this unsound bill? Here is the answer,
as given by Senator Johnston of South
Carolina: "The administration knows
I the only way it can destroy REA is by
turning its purse strings over to the
Secretary of Agriculture, who is no
friend of the farmers and rural people"
This is a ridiculous statement, and
/ the record proves it. When REA was
established only few farmers enjoyed
I the benefits of central station electric
service. Today about 96 per cent of the
farmers enjoy this service, and about
/ half of the increase has been provided
, by REA-financed facilities. Loans Of
more than a billion dollars have been
made during the past six years, under
Mr.. Benson. This is nearly half as much
as was loaned by the agency during the
previous II years of its existence. Fur
thermore, Mr. Benson has never turned
down loan recommended by the REA
administrator.
This, then, is the record of the
manner in which Mr.. Benson has sought
to destroy" REA. Obviously, to ex-
plain the Senate vote, one must look
deeper than the preposterous explana-
ton offered by the Senator from South
Carolina.
The real explanation, one may be
sure, is rooted in politics. Mr.. Benson
has become the whipping boy of the
politicians, and few Senators are averse
to laying on the lash. Beyond this the
Senate Democrats think, with reason,
that they are faced with series of
vetoes if they are going to lock horns
with the President. They presumably
looked upon the REA veto as good
vehicle for a show of strength. After
all, they are not likely to lose votes in
the rural areas by batting Mr.. Benson
on such an issue as REA loans.
The principle, however, is lmpor-
tant For an element of sound Gov
eminent is at stake, and this principle
will become much more important If
the overriding of this veto is preview
of things to come. We hope that the
House will refuse to go along with the
SenateS game.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Panama in Trouble

The Western Hemisphere republics
have closed ranks firmly and swiftly to
combat the threat of invasion and revo-
luton in Panama.
Responding to an appeal by the
Panamanian government for support in
resisting foreign invasion" the Coun-
ell of the Organization of American
States yesterday authorized immediate
dispatch of fact-f1nding committee to
the Central American country. Tech
nically, the action was taken under
terms of the Inter American Treaty OF
Reciprocal Assistance (the Rio Pact) by
which the q nations are pledged to
Joint defense measures. The pact has
been invoked effectively by the GAS
on several previous occasions and its
prompt application in this case offers
promise that the united front pressure
of the American governments will be
successful in restoring peace.
Earlier, our own State Department
announced that small arms and am
munition were being supplied to the
Panamanian government from stocks
on hand in the Canal Zone. This action
was taken under the Mutual Security
Act, which specifically provides for
emergency military help to members Of
the GAS.
1t is particularly reassuring that
yesterdays council vote was unanimous,
and was accompanied by strongly spoken
support from GAS Ambassador Roa of
Cuba. Mr.. Roa took note of reports
that the invading force said to be To-
Gated near a Caribbean coastal village
of Panama is made up largely of CubanS,
under leadership of Panamanian revo-
lutionists. Ambassador Arias Of Panama
has described them only as "interna-
tional pirates" but the Cuban delegate
emphasized that his government is in
complete disapproval of any invasion
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Food Tox InequitY

The sales tax on FOODS
bought at local grocery
stores is one cent on a dol
lar and the sales tax on food
bought in lunch rooms,
cafes, etc, is two cents. How
ridiculous! How unjust!
Let it not be supposed for
one minute that the people
who eat "out" are in better
economic circumstances than
those who eat lin" Quite
the contrary is often true.
Hundreds of people draw
ing monthly old-age PEN
sions, disability pensions
and retirement pensions eat
in restaurants regularly be-
cause they have no family
or home of their own, but
live in rooming houses or
rent single rooms in private
homes. These unfortunate
people don't eat very much
because restaurant prices are
high, and on top of that he
or she has to pay a two
cent tax if the bill is over
sixty-three cents and a one
cent tax if the bill is over
fourteen cents. And, mind
you, whole families of people
from the lower stations of
life-families of laborers or
of holders of jobs in the
lower income brackets, can
often be seen in restaurants
partaking their daily bread.
On the other hand those
who are fortunate enough to
have homes of their own and
able to buy food in bigger
quantities at a cheaper price,
also are fortunate enough to
obtain a cheap one-cent-on-
a-dollar tax rate. Talk of
class legislation! Boy, oh boy!
Why haven't the poor
people who are thus dis
eliminated against registered
a protest after so long a
time? Perhaps they were too
busy working or too old to
be bothered. Perhaps they
figured that, in time, the in
justice would be righted.
Let us either decrease the
lunch-room food tax from
two cents on a dollar to one
cent on a dollar or else in
crease the sales tax on gro
ceries bought at grocery
stores from one cent on a
dollar to two cents on the
dollar.
I think everyone will
agree that a human being is
a human being whether he
eats sin" or eats "out." So
why the discriminating tax?
Walter Fielder,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
No Wisconsin Freewoy

The District Commissioners have
slammed the door on the controversial
wisconsin avenue corridor" freeway
with a resounding bang, and no one
should be greatly surprised. In January,
1858, the Commissioners rejected vir-
tually the same proposition, with good
reason. Despite a number of new devel-
opments, the basic problems involved
are about the same now as they were
year ago.
The foremost of these is simply that
the Commissioners were unable to nail
down an expressway route from the
upper reaches of Wisconsin avenue, near
Tenley Circle, to downtown Washington,
which in their Judgment justified the
disruption to property and community
values that would result. The only
widely discussed possibility-to run the
expreSSWay through Glover Archbold
Park to the Potomac River-was fatty
ruled out by the Commissioners decision
to abide by 1948 agreement with the
National Park Service. Under that
agreement, the city is to build a four
lane parkway" through Glover Arch
bold for passenger cars only. The pro-
posed Wisconsin avenue freeway-in-
tended to be part of the vast Federal
system of interstate highways-would
be open to trucks, and designed for
higher speeds and greater capacity than
the parkway.
The interstate" designation is the
magic label which has put so much
steam behind the Wisconsin avenue free
way, for the Federal Government pays
80 per cent of the cost of interstate Sys-
tenn projects. To qualify, however, the
proposed Wisconsin avenue freeway
would have had to be continuous free
way link between two parts of the Fed
eral syStem-U. S. Route 240 in Bethesda
and the proposed timer loop freeway
in downtown Washington. BY ruling out
the southern portion, therefore, the
Commissioners also have killed the road
in Maryland as an interstate project as
well. This makes doubly important the
early completion of good road along
the Potomac River between Cabin John,
Md, and the city.
latest position, the Commissioners rest
most of their case on contention that
a wisconsin avenue freeway is not
needed below Tenley Circle, in any event.
AS evidence, they cite the still-secret
Washington Area Mass Transportation
Survey, which has been distributed to
officials but not yet released to the pub
lie AT the same time, however, the
statement ambiguously implies that
Wisconsin avenue freeway will be needed
north of Tenley Circle, in both Wash
ington and Maryland, to handle traffic
from the fast-groWing Bethesda region.
How would such a freeway as this
be financed, if interstate system funds
are not available? The answer is that
such financing does not now exist. The
further truth of the matter, however,
is that neither is financing available for
about half of the other needed highway
improvements to be proposed in the area
survey. This is the first fact which will
have to be faced by citizens of the en-
tire metro area when the survey report
is issued this Summer-affecting Wis
consin avenue as only one OF several
critical traffic corridors around the city.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
A Cinderella Story About Medicine
By THOMAS R. HENRY

and about half the mole
cule Of a fluid known as
hyaluronic acid.
Here. papers presented at
the conference indicated.
may be its most important
function. Hyaluronic acid
sometimes is called body
glue" 1t is a glue-like liquid
which serves as a ground
substance for connective
tissues Of all kinds. These are
the tissues affected by the So
called collagen diseases-most
notably arthritis. Much re-
search now is devoted to
finding the role 1t. may play
in this increasingly frequent
malady.
The sugar also occurs in
the waxy coat Of the tuber-
culosis germ which makes
this organism so difficult to
kill. 1t also is found in the
capsule of the pneumococcus,
used by laboratory techni-
clans to determine which OF
more than Is known pneu-
mococcuS species had in
vaded a patient.
A hint of its possible medi-
cal significance might have
come Is years ago with the
discovery Of the soil fungus
from which streptomycin is
produced. This potent anti
biotic has a very complex
molecule, a third of which
happens to be a mirror image
of glucosamine. Streptomycin
is used especially in treat
ment of tuberculosis. A cur
rent theory is that the TB
organism cannot tell it from
the real thing and incorpor-
ates it into its waxy shell.
making drug attack on this
easier. A very similar process
now is known to explain the
action of penicillin.
When the body begins to
recover after an illness or
surgical operation the amount
of sugar in the blood rises.
This same phenomenon oc-
ours in acute arthritis, a dis
ease of tissues whose ground
substance is about half glu-
cosamine anyway. The reason
for this rise has not yet been
found but it is expected to
have some bearing on repair
of injured tissues.
Sugar Decrease Studied
AS people grow older the
amount of the sugar in the
body's major artery, the
aorta, decreases. There are
several substances in the
arteries. however, which de-
crease with age. The sugar
decrease may have no reaI
significance, but it is being ex.
plored in several laboratories
Several investigators have
reported that glucosamint
shows some activity against
tumors. This fact may be o.
considerable Importance, it i,
believed, in a better under.
standing of the still puzzlins
phenomenon of uncontrolled
growth, the central fact o.
cancer. Nobody has sug.
gested, however, that thi,
will mean any advance to.
wards a cancer cure.
The sugar is cropping up In
score of places in present-da,
medico-chemical research.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Man Less BeostIy

E. B. Henderson of the Vir-
ginia chapter of the NAACP
chooses to depict the South Of
20 or more. years ago in his
letter concerning the South
ern way of life. He speaks Of
"lynchings." yet even the
Northern liberals have drop
ped pressure for Federal anti
lynching laws, recognizing
that the problem is essential
ly solved. I quote the World
Almanac for 1859:
"A record of lynchings kept
at Tuskegee Institute shows
that since 1900. 1890 Ameri-
cans have been lynched, 1875
white and 1.795 Negro. Full
publicity, punishment of out
laws and other drastic efforts
to stop lawlessness cut down
mob action until there were
no lynchings in 1852. 1858,
1854. 1856 and 1857. There
was / in 1851, and there were
3 in 1855"
The subject of lynching is
a prime example of the cor
rection of a social evil, not by
punitive Federal intervention,
but by a change in social at
titude based on conscience
and education.
It's time for the American
public and the NAACP to
realize that Negroes are not
the only group Disseminated
against.
We ought to quit torturing
our Nation over desegrega-
ton. So long as social atti-
tudes are what they are. we
must have some segregation
on the basis of sex and race.
ID. NJ.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Water Controversy

Falls Church has had a
water system for many years
and has served areas outside
the corporate limits since
long before it became a city.
Most mains outside the city
were installed at the request
of citizens, or of developers, in
the county who had no other
source of water. Without
Falls Church water a large
part of the surrounding area
would not now be developed.
Falls Church citizens have
voted general oblig alton
bonds to supply water to this
area. If the water revenue is
not sufficient for their retire.
ment, the city is obligated to
tax its citizens to do so. While
Fairfax residents have no
voice in setting water rates
by the city, neither can they
be taxed by Falls Church to
pay off the bonds should it
become necessary. In addi-
ton, Fairfax County makes
no payment to Falls Church
for fire hydrants or water
for fire protection Of the
county area served by the
Falls Church water system.
although the general fund of
the city provides a payment
to the water department for
fire hydrant rental. since fire
protection is a general gov
eminent function rather than
a function of the water de-
partment. To accommodate
our neighbors in Fairfax
County, Falls Church has
EXTENDED mains TO outlying
areas, some with few if any
inter mediate connections.
Many mains are diversified.
on the basis of present use.
because they we're engi-
neered to serve a definite
larger area. the limits of
which were determined years
ago. The cost of installation,
furnishing of water and meter
reading is therefore more
costly per customer or per
gallon in the county than in
the city. Is it then too much
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
Taxes Are Painful

You printed on April 23
a letter from Walton Thomp-
son in which he referred to
the League of Women Voters
and other reputable organi-
cations as pressure groups
for increased expendi-
lures and a willingness to pay
higher taxes, and suggested
that it was time for tax
payers to unite against this
kind of thing.
AS we recently told the
Montgomery County Council
in a statement on the pro-
posed school budget, Lea
que members find the burden
of constantly mounting taxes
as painful as do other mem
bers of the community. But
the alternative, which would
be to do without services
which we consider vital, is
even more painful. The tax
payers are united, Mr..
Thompson, in organizations
like the League of Women
Voters.
But we're not only tax
payers, we're realiSts too. and
know that We can expect to
get only what we pay for.
We want adequate public SER
vices, and recognize that to
get them we must foot the
bill. In addition, as housewives
we're careful marketers and
so we check our school and
other budgets as carefully as
we do our personal market
lists in an effort to be GER
tain that we get a dollars
worth of service for each tax
dollar spent. And we don't
testify IN support of any bud
get request until our mem
bership as a whole is con-
WINGED that this will be a
wise expenditure.
The League of Women
Voters has a number of male
members as associates. If Mr..
Thompson would like to join
us in our continuing efforts
to get a full dollar value for
each tax-dollar spent, we'd
be very glad to have him.
Mrs. Thomas G. Casey,
President, League of Wom-
en- Voters of Montgomery
County.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29

to expect the county Gus
toners to pay a little more
for water than the citizens of
Falls Church?
The question of furnishing
water to the Fairfax County
Hospital and to the Fairfax
Water Authority has been
raised. Prior to purchase of
the hospital site. the hospital
commission asked for aSSur-
ance that Falls Church would
extend its mains to supply
the hospital. Now it is
charged that the city is
usurping county authority.
To my knowledge, Falls
Church has never refused to
supply water to the Fairfax
Water Authority, but has
tried to cooperate with it in
the best interests of both city
and county. 1t is difficult to
cooperate with a body which
appears to take the attitude,
BE reasonable - do it my
way" and which, when it
does not get its way. runs to
the State Legislature or to
Congress to beg for a law
granting its way. Fairfax
County should be sufficiently
mature to work out its own
problems. I am sure the off,
Gals of Falls Church are
willing to cooperate with
Fairfax County on water as
well as other issues, but it is
too much to expect them to
compromise those issues to
the detriment of the city of
Falls Church.
Water rates for county
customers of the Falls Church
system are lower than any
other water system operating
in the county. Falls Church
has developed a water system
having a value of 81 or So
million. Falls Church citizens
have obligated themselves to
a present bonded indebted
ness on that system of about
SO million. With this obliga-
ton and with the free fire
protection and other services
to the county residents IL
does not appear that a return
of slightly over per cent OF
the value of the system, fol
the benefit of city residents
is unreasonable. In the tab
Sence OF TINS small incentive
perhaps it would be advisable
for Falls Church to sell the
county part of its system tt
the Fairfax Water Authority
at appraised value. and lie
them increase the rates, a
they did with the Amanda,
system, and at the same TIM
give Falls Church severa
million dollars to spend TO
benefits to the citizens o
Falls Church.
Jewell ii. Petersen,
Former City Councilman o
Falls Church.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-29
For disturbed BOYS

Regarding your article
New School for Disturbed
Boys Raped" of April "a:
My wife and I happen to be
interested in this proposed
school in Montgomery Coun-
ty because we are familiar
with a similar school now ex-
listing. We visited this school
about one year ago at the
invitation of a friend who is
a counselor there. We OBJ
served the children and de-
cided to offer our help to one
in particular who has no OPP
portunity to visit relatives on
Week-ends and holidays. We
have taken this child cage
49, into our home on many
week-ends and on most holi-
days. This has proved to be
a very rewarding experience
for us, to be able to afford
some happiness to a child
less fortunate than our own
who are ages 4 and 7. On
our visits to the school we
have observed the other chill
dren and now know most of
them individually and we do
not feel that they are a de-
triment to their community
in any way. In fact they are
not noticeably different from
other children. They simply
have minor emotional prob
lens which require profess
sional counseling and the
therapy of living in a group
of other children, closely su-
pervised, away from a home
or school situation which has
in some way proved detri-
mental to their emotional
growth. They do not attend
the public schools in their
community but are taught on
the premises.
It has been shown by mem
bers of area mental health
associations and by psychia-
trists teStifying before the
coming board in this case that
there is a need for such a
school in Montgomery Coun-
ty. The children VINO will
be enrolled in the proposed
Edgemeade School would in
no way constitute a physical
danger" to the community.
They are not delinquents,
mentally retarded. or psy-
chotic children, and we feel
that there must be some
people in this community
who are thankful that their
children are normal" and
will be glad to give these
kids q chance.
James NJ. ScOggins.