davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
Better Site Needed

Attorney General Rogers is right
The National Training School for Boys
is not the type of institution that should
be located in congested city neighbour
hood. Urban activities are distractions
which hamper the school in it's program
of rehabilitation and reform for way
ward youth. The Attorney Generals re-
quest for congressional authorization to
sell the old buildings on Bladensburg
road and transfer the school to a rural
area far from Washington makes sense.
The present site was suitable enough
when the school first was established
there nearly 80 years ago. Most of the
surrounding land then consisted of
farms. Now the school is surrounded by
residential and commercial develop
ments, with BladenSburg road one of
the city'S more congested traffic arteries.
School authorities for years have pleaded
for removal of the institution to quieter
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
Space, Unlimited

American missile prestige has rock
eted to new heights as result of the
endless voyage into limitless space upon
which Pioneer Nv, our moon-skirting
solar satellite, has embarked. Like Rus
sia's trail-blazipg Mechta venture, this
is successful effort to shake of the
mysterious forces of gravity which have
held the earth and its inhabitants to-
gether since time immemorial. Freed
from these powerful bonds, Pioneer Nv
is racing inexorably into the deeps Of
space, destined, If all continues to go
well, to become the second man-made
DRIFTING member of the suns countless
satellite family.
Already the rockets pay load" in
GLIDING instruments for measuring ra-
diation and other phenomena, is farther
from the earth than any space probe,
excepting Mechta, has achieved. It's
ultimate permanent arrival in the vic
Unity of the sun was assured when
the firing of the several stages of the
rocket accelerated its speed to nearly
$4,000 miles an hour-enough to break
the grip of gravity. 1t has been slowing
down since reaching its maximum We
locity, as was predicted, but its momen-
tum should be sufficient to carry it into
solar orbit, according to scientists of the
Army and of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, Joint spon-
Sors of the undertaking.
Apparently slight deviation from
the planned trajectory is taking it far
ther from the moon than had been
expected. This is unfortunate, since the
instruments in the cone had been de-
signed to report certain conditions on
our lunar satellite from a distance of
about $4,000 miles. Pioneer Nv was
expected to come within $4,000 miles
of the moon early this afternoon and
then proceed onward to the vicinity of
the sun. Only the infinitesimal chance
of collision with a meteor could end
the rockets timelesS journey in space.
Coming close In the wake of the
Air Forces launching of a Discoverer
satellite Of uncertain fate, the Pioneer
exploit has given welcome thrust TO
American hopes of overtaking and
exceeding the achievements of Soviet
rocket scientists. 1t is reassuringly evi-
dent that we are making good progress
toward the eventual goal of putting a
man into space, with reasonable assur-
ance of his safe return with a story
literally out of this world.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
On Striking First

OF course 1t is true that our policy
decision not to strike first in event of
war imposes considerable handicap on
this country.
1t means that our. armed forces, in
order to exercise an effective war deter
rent, must maintain enough power in
sufficiently diversified form to take the
nrSt blow and then get up off the floor
and hit back with devastating effect In
this retaliatory strike we must strive to
be capable of doing such damage to
Russia that the Kremlin will not be will
ing to launch the initial attack
This, at best, is very large order,
and the prospect which it raises, If the
Russians should strike, is a grim one.
For 1t is certain that millions of Ameri-
cans would be killed, no matter what
our retaliatory capacity might be.
Granting all of this, there still is
reason to be skeptical of the differences
which might be drawn from the recent
exchange between Defense Secretary
McElroy and Representative McCor-
mack, the House majority leader.
Mr.. McElroy said 1t is conceivable
that our Strike-second policy might be
changed at some future time. And Mr..
Mccormack urged that our present pol
icy Is "a rather untenable one" in case
OF great emergency. The inference is
that perhaps we should scrap our ex-
listing policy and be prepared to strike
the first blow ourselves.
1t should not be supposed, however,
that this necessarily would solve our
problem, for there Is considerable doubt
that American public opinion would
support a so-called preventive war.
There is another and perhaps a more
important point.
Our present policy Is designed to
discourage the Russians from starting
war. One important factor in this is
the knowledge, or belief, on the part OF
the Russians that they do not have to
fear surprise attack If this should
be changed, however, so that the Rus
SLAMS would have reason to believe that
We might strike first, then the risk that
they would decide, as matter of self
preservation, to get in the first blow
would be greatly increased.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
Bar Group VS.. Court

All good Americans should
heartily indorse the recon-
mendations of the American
Bar Association for more
stringent national security
laws. However, l am, at a
loss to understand their rea-
soning or criticism of some
United States Supreme Court
decisions. The honorable and
distinguished .jurists are
doing a magnificent job in
interpreting and reviewing
possible errors Of law COM
mitted either by lower courts
or attorneys, and in so doing,
it is only natural to find fault
of a reversal based on a tech
nicality. After all, the en-
tire philosophy Of law is
based on a maze of technical
tiles, and members of the bar
are eager beavers in empha-
sizing these points at the
trial table
If national security and
homicide cases were televised,
the appellate courts would
rule more favorably, I am
sure, If they could see some
witnesses in accomplishing
the Fifth Amendment.
Jack /. ResnicOff.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
Statehood for the District?
In his letter to The Star today Mr.

In his letter to The Star today Mr..
Van Arkel says that Every Territory
admitted to Statehood-that is, given
the right to vote for national officials
has first had to demonstrate its ability
to maintain local government"
But what does that have to do with
proposed territorial form of govern
ment for the District of Columbia? We
do not believe that the District of
Columbia will ever become, nor should
1t become, State. Its present status
as the seat of government-is unique.
The remedy for it's unique lack of
representation must also be unique
amendment of the Constitution empow-
ering Congress to grant to the people
of this Federal City such representation
in Congress and among the electors OF
President and Vice President as Con-
gresS may decide. Lawyers seem to
agree that Congress now lacks such
power.
The suggestion that WashingtonianS
must demonstrate their ability to main
tain local government before they can
enjoy real voting rights is complete nom
sense. OF course they have the ability.
The issue, in respect to home rule, is
whether an elected local government,
subservient to an all-powerful National
Government in which the local elector-
ate is unrepreSented, will find itself
saddled with responsibility it cannot
discharge. The concept of Washington
as the Nations city would be injured,
with no ,compensating advantages to
local citizens.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04

@. How fast can elephants
travel? Is it true that they
move like trotting horses?
". E.
A. When enraged, an ele-
plant can move with amazing
speed for short distances, but
the average running speed is
about Is miles an hour. The
running gait is the same as
the walking one-a shutting
stride. This is normally a
pace: the two left legs move
in unison, then the two right
legs. Only one circus elephant
has been observed to trot-
that is. move the legs in
diagonal pairs. An elephant
cannot gallop or jump.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
A Question to Labor
Chairman Boyd Leedom o1

Chairman Boyd Leedom of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board has posed
question to union leadership that has
a great bearing upon the American
economic system, and possibly on the
whole political and social structure of
the country. 1t is, in short, whether
'labor-with its political strength greatly
enhanced in last years elections-will
throw the balance OF its power for or
against the enactment of legislation
that would help to eliminate some of
the evils and abuses that have been
disclosed in certain union practices
In posing his question, Mr. Leedom
was referring primarily to the evils
and abuses revealed by the Mcclellan
committee - to the racketeering and
thievery within Segments of organized
labor and the consequent corrupting
influence upon affected labor manage
ment relations. He acknowledged, too,
that some Of labor, for example the
AFL-CIO, had made efforts "forthrightly
and . with great courage" to do
its own housekeeping, but with rela-
lively little effectiveness. Remaining
then is the core of the question, namely,
whether responsible labor will support
and welcome legislation to help in the
housekeeping, or will retreat into a
position OF opposition to any corrective
legislation unless it is "sweetened" to
union tastes.
Unfortunately, labor-again, the
AFL-CIO-already has given an initial
answer. It has served notice it will
oppose the Kennedy Erwin bill If the
one section 1t wants is deleted. Labor
may, of course, prevail in preserving its
"sweeteners" One of these would per-
NIT replaced strikers to vote in repre-
sentative elections. Another would
allow building trades unions to obtain
NLRB certif1cation under certain condi-
tons without any election or showing
of majority status on job.
But labor should bear in mind the
point made by Mr.. Leedom that there
are three well recognized political
groupings within Congress" pushing for
corrective legislation. One group in
cludes the liberal Northern Democrats
backing the Kennedy bill, second the
Republicans supporting the administra-
ton bill and a third the conservative
Democrats of the South supporting the
Mcclellan bill Combined, these three
have the power to enact legislation, and
they probably will If labor, in turn,
succeeds in weakening it to a point
where it does not correct the abuses,
then labor itself runs further risks.
1t will, as Mr.. Leedom says, be the
renegade unions" that will take ad-
vantage of the loopholeS in inadequate
regulation. They will be the benefici-
aries, while the responsible labor move
ment is damaged. And at some date
thereafter, when the public mind de-
cideS that the special rights of labor
interfere too much with the general
welfare, powerful reaction will set in"
Labors own uphill battle for political
influence should be its best reminder
that the pendulum of public sentiment
in this country can and does swing, and
that Mr.. Leedom, for example, was only
stating fair warning when he said
that "the American people will not put
up with Labor Lords any more than
they did with the Business Barons of
another era /"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

No, Bessie, the Iron Cur
tain does not hold all Of
communism.
Wherever you find people
forming organizations to bull
doze other people, you have
communism at work, the
group mind the herd mind
in full flower.
K
Let us not be afraid.
AS long as we can write
letters to the papers we will
be free.
After that, Chaos with a
big capital &C." and innu-
merable persons chasing us
through the lanes to sign us
up on the dotted lines.
They are after us, Bessie
dear, and it is Just as well
We know it in advance.
Maybe it is easier to give
in to them than to protest,
even in letters.
Perhaps we do better.
though, to fight it out, when
somebody with a CLEAN in his
eye, and his big organization
behind him. comes up to us
and says, playfully:
Il think you are suffering
with diSorganized dandruff,
and I want you to prove to
the world that you aren't.
Sign right here. please, and
the wagon will be around to
get you at noon, sharp"
Let us be men, not mice:
let us be ladies. not mouses.
We will look the guy in the
eye, and shout, Sure. I have
disorganized dandruff, and I
am proud of it, and it is really
none of your business, after
all. is it?
Is 1t, you So-and-So? Why
don't you mind your own
business, for once, and I will
mind my own business, and
we will get along very well,
I am sure"
That way, democracy lies.
Thus Bessie's protest may be
heard around the world.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Lots of Life Under Arctic Ice

salt content and also to trace
individual layers Of Ice
formed each winter"
Thirty Russian scientists
are spending the winter on
q drifting ice foe about $50
miles from the North Pole.
The foe now is drifting
across the great undersea
Lomonosov Mountains, dis
covered a few years ago. be-
tween northern Greenland
and the Sverdrup Islands,
about the nearest land
masses to the Pole, and they
are making detailed studies
Of the mountain slopes and
the sedimentary rocks on the
bottom.
This is reported In an alb
stract Of Russian scientific
reports issued by the, De-
partment Of Commerce.
The ice foe carrying the
drift station has been greatly
reduced in size during the
past three years, the Rus
slams report. The area was
formerly 3.5 kilometers. It
now has been reduced to $50
square meters. The breakup
of the ice is continuing and
now cracks appear from time
to time.
This is in line. says the
Soviet report, with a general
warming of the climate all
over the earth. but which is
especially noticeable in the
far north. The edge of the
mass of arctic ice gradually
is moving northward. For
example, one Of the largest
Of the Russian ice islands,
Semenovski Island, was IS
kilometers long when first
discovered in 1923. Since
then its length has been re-
duced to one kilometer. The
Lyakhovskiye ice islands
north of Siberia gradually
are disappearing.
Ice Area Shrinks
In the Russian arctic
sector. says the report, the
ice area has been reduced in
the last two decades by more
than a million square kilo-
meters, now open water
during the summer. This is
accompanied in general by
a retreat Of Alpine glaciers
through their territory, the
Russians say.
Further warming" says
the Department of Com
merce resume, will lead to
considerable changes in con-
tirlental outlines. Birds now
are found in the northern
part Of the USSR which have
not been encountered in
those regions before. and cod
and herring are being caught
much farther north.
THE mean annual tenn
perature gradually is rising.
Some believe this warming is
due to an intensification Of
solar radiation. Others as
, sumo that the rise in TEN.
perature is caused by burning
large quantities of coal and
petroleum, as a result of
which carbon monoxide ac-
cumulates in the upper at
mosphere, thus forming q
kind OF warm sheath around
the earth"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
Territories and States
iSee editorial. Statehood for
the District?")

fSee editorial. Statehood for
the District?")
Your editorial Of February
20 again repeats the old cliche
that neither the Presidents
territorial form Of govern
ment nor other home rule
proposals would provide vot-
ing rights worth a hill of
beans" and that only q vote
for a President, Senators and
Congressman would be mean
ingful. The Star Is out Of
step with the White House,
the District Commissioners,
both major political parties
and the majority Of District
residents.
The view is impractical.
Your editorial correctly points
out that a Constitutional
amendment would be required
to give us a vote for a Presi-
dent and other national Of
fees. but neglects to point
out what every school boy
knows; lie. that such an
amendment must be passed
by a two-thirds vote of both
houses of Congress and rati-
fed by three quarters of the
State legislatures. It is equal
~ clear that a simple major
ity vote of both houses of
Congress will give us Home
Rule Do you seriously con-
tend that We can achieve the
former before the latter?
This view ignores history.
Every Territory admitted to
Statehood is, given the
right to vote for national Of
ficialS-has first had to
demonstrate its ability to
maintain q local government.
Alaska and Hawaii are the
most recent examples. What
reason is there for supposing
that the District can escape
this historical development?
1t is an unhappy fact that
national representation" has
become increasingly only a
stalking horse to defeat any
measures for self-government.
Enthusiasm for it always
reaches a climax when it ap-
pears that Home Rule may
become a reality; those who
profess to be loudest in its
support, with some creditable
exceptions. promptly lose in
tereSt when Home Rule mea-
sures seem effectively bottled
up in the House District
Committee.
Because the Congress I'M
derstandably refuses to take
time to debate the trivia
which come to it concerning
the District, we are now in
the position of a community
whose legislature, on nearly
all matters. must act unani-
mously. This is. by any cri-
terion. bad government. 1t
can be remedied only by
creating a locally elected gov
eminent, responsible to the
people of the District. If the
Presidents bill does not give
us everything we would de-
sire. it is a long. practical
step to restoring our rights
as citizens Of the United
States.
Gerhard p. Van Arkel.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04


lures under the arctic ice.
They support a large, rela-
lively constant under-ice
animal population.
This Is the observation Of
"frog-men" on drifting sta
ton Alpha. one Of the two
United States ice island sta
tons. just reported to the
National Research Council.
The work was part Of the
American International Geo.
physical Year program.
The observers spent con-
siderable time in the frigid
water In frog-man gear with
self-contained breathing APP
paratus.
The pastures" are growths
Of diatoms, microscopic
plants with silica shells
which attach themselves to
the bottom Of the ice which
covers IS per cent of the sea
surface throughout the year.
Like all plant life. the organ
isms depend on sunlight
through the basic process Of
photosynthesis - and rela-
lively little sunshine gets
through the thick ice.
Many crustaceans, accord
ind to the ICY report. APP
pear to Craze on the UNDER
ice diatoms. These. in turn,
are eaten by seals. Thus the
tiny plants constitute a cor
nerstone or arctic life.
Closely Studied
standard sampling equip
ment," says the report,
fails to give an adequate es-
innate of the populations in
volved In the food chain and
gives no insight into natural
conditions. Direct inspection
by an observer under the ice
permits descriptions of the
plants and animals on the
undersurface of the ice, de-
termination of their rela-
tionships to one another, and
effective sampling for esti-
nations Of the populations
involved. Standing crop
samples Of the phytoplank-
ton microscopic plant pop
ulation were taken for iden-
LITIGATION. Preliminary an
alyseS Of these samples
showed increased productive
ity for the sunny summer
months. Complete studies
will include analyses of oxy-
gen production and con-
sumption and chlorophyll
abundance and the data OBJ
tanned will be analysed to
determine daily, seasonal and
depth variation in plankton
productivity.
THE microStratif1cation of
upper layers of the water
was studied. the samples
taken from specific levels
were analysed. and a ther-
NAL probe was used to meas
ure the temperature. These
studies should provide data
on the physical environment
of the plankton and the nu-
trients available in the sea
water.
Gore holes were drilled
through the sea ice at regu-
lar intervals and the cores
analysed microscopically and
chemically. 1t was possible
to correlate the microscopic
structure of the ice with its
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04

From time to time The
Star has clever and very APP
propriate cartoons on the edi-
torial page. but it seems the
artist missed the point at
issue in depicting Senator
Proxmire as little David at
tempting to kill Goliath
Senator Lyndon Johnson).
I hardly think the Wisconsin
Senator had any intention of
killing the Majority Leader.
He simply meant to put him
in his place when he deliv-
cred his dramatic speech in
protest against one-man
rule of the most powerful
governing body in the world.
He deserves the thanks of
the Nation. and / hope the
true significance of a just
rebuke is not overlooked by
the people Of Wisconsin, who
are indeed fortunate in hav-
ing someone Of Senator
Proxmire's courage and in
sight to represent them in
these Troubled times.
Frances Louise McCracken.
x y
1t was alarming to observe
the manner in which you
ridiculed Senator Proxmire's
recent action in calling for
more caucuses which would
result in a broader represen-
tation of views by Democratic
Senators. 1t occurs to me
that this is truly a democratic
form Of activity which should
have gained your support.
1t makes one wonder what
will happen to this country
when a newspaper of your
stature does not support a
basic principle upon which
this democracy was founded.
This letter should not be
construed as making me an
ardent supporter of Senator
Proxmire. but certainly it
makes me an ardent support
er of the principle that we
should have representation
by all of the Democratic Sem
ators rather than one.
Wallace M. Smith.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
ALEXANDRIA, Va.

Dear Sir:
This Is a day in which an
organization can come up to
you and accuse you Of hav-
ing some terrible disease and
demand that you prove you
haven't.
If an individual should
do that to you. on the street,
you would knock him down,
or regard him as either
drunk or crazy and call the
police if you could find any.
Il am getting tired of
being set upon by organiza-
tionS.
I'VE are being organized to
death, and / don't under
stand it. We are supposed to
be a democracy, but more
and more feel the pressure
of compulsion upon me and
all about me.
What do you think would
happen to me If, the next
time someone says my eye
sight is poor. and demands
Of me that I prove to him
that it isn't. / should sud-
denly scream.
Il have been wanting to
scream for a long time, just
to prove to myself that I can
do it. in case of need.
Sincerely. BESSIE G. G."
X y x
This plea for justice, or
something, will not fall on
deaf ears.
Somebody, we don't know
who. is bound to scream even
louder than you can, Bess.
The world of today is an
odd one. indeed.
Even the smartest people
often do not know what is
happening to them.
So the rest of us can be
forgiven, we suppose. for just
being FESTIVE. now and then,
and sounding off in letters to
the papers.
We feel that something is
happening, but we are not
sure what, and we wait pa
tiently to see if the thing will
reveal itself. because we are
afraid to ask anybody.
X 4 X X
Not Bessie, of course.
Our Bess is a big girl, not
afraid of anyone.
She speaks right out in
meetings.
She suspects we are being
organized to death.
The bureaucratS have us
in their grip. just as they did
in Germany before World
War II, and as they did in
Russia of the TzarS.
Those who are not in Gov
eminent bureaus form little
outside bureaus of their own
and then go on from there.
The moving finger writes
on millions of pieces of
paper, all duly accredited and
OK'd by a number of almost
illegible scrawls in the mar
gins.
This is the result. let us
whisper, Of communism.