davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1959-12-18
M-Advised Parole

While Chicago police strive TO solve
the gangster-styfe murder Of Roger "The
Terrible" Touhy, the public has a related
mystery on its hands: Why was such
notorious criminal given his freedom?
Touhy, long time leader Of gang once
described by FBI Director Hoover as one
of the Nations "moSt vicious and dan
gerouS," was paroled after serving nearly
26 years of sentences totaling 298 years.
But the police record of the crimes
charged against the Touhy mob, ranging
from kidnapping to murder, makes one
wonder how any leniency toward this
man could be justified.
The Touhy gang rode high in the
Chicago area during prohibition days,
blazing its way into newspaper head
lines by gunf1re as it defled both the law
and the rival Capone gang. Touhys
downfall came when he ventured into
the kidnapping field, a mistake which
brought the FBI into the investigation
Of the 100000 ransom kidnapping Of
Jake THE Barber" Factor. Touhy and
his chief "enforcer," gunman Basil "The
Owl" Banghart, were arrested and,
SCly VII OIlc UdSlO VI IIlC D4 cN1UCIlCCJ
convicted of the kidnapping in the State
courts. Both were sentenced to SO years.
Later Touhy engineered an armed escape
from the State prison, for which he was
given an additional sentence of 199
years. The obvious purpose of those
sentences was to keep Touhy behind
bars for life.
But Governor Stratton of Illinois
commuted both sentences two years ago,
making Touhy eligible for parole sew
eral weeks ago-aS though he were a
criminal worthy of special considera-
tion. The parole proved to be both ILL
fated and ill-adviSed. Few persons will
shed tears over Touhy's death by the
same gangland method which repeatedly
brought sudden death to enemies of his
welding mob. Had he been kept
in prison where he belonged, however,
Chicago would have been spared an
other killing of the type which once
marked gang warfare in the Midwest.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
Not So Dirty as 1t Seems

The Senate Subcommittee on Con-
Stitutional Rights heard witnesses re-
peat the late Justice Holmes comment
that overlapping is "a dirty business"
But one of the witnesses, former United
States Attorney Paul Williams, properly
pointed out that "crime is even dirtier."
Some crimes against the Federal or
State government are so dirty, he said,
that eaveSdropping by law enforcement
authorities is fully justified. We agree.
Is listening in on suspected Spy'S
telephone line so unethical that the FBI
should allow itself to "hear no evil" un-
less the plotters are warned first that
their line has been tapped?
Is overlapping such an underhanded
way of trapping a kidnaper that he
should be permitted free use Of his tele-
phone to make his ransom demands on
the parents of an abducted-and pos
sibly Slain-child?
How much courtesy and conSidera-
ton should law enforcement officers be
required to display toward a vicious
criminal?
We strongly indorSe Mr.. Williams
recommendation that overlapping be
legalized by specific Federal legislation
and that use of wiretap evidence in
kidnapping and national security cases
be permitted by law in Federal courts.
The whole not-so-dirty business should
be surrounded with careful safeguards
against abuses, however, with the au-
thority for specific taps vested in re-
SponSible off1cialS-Such as the Attorney
General or the judges of Federal or
State courts.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
NASA to Probe Conditions on Venus
By THOMAS r. HENRY

known that this "air" con-
tains much more of the vital
gas, carbon dioxide. The
amount in the earth's at
moSphere is very minute
but 1t is the cornerstone of
all terrestrial life. No water
vapor has yet been detected
in Venus air, in spite of the
fact that the whole surface
is covered with intense
clouds. They are probably
clouds of carbon dioxide. It
is not known whether there
is any nitrogen on Venus.
This is the chief element in
the earth's air.
The same sort of probe,
according to DR.. Homer E.
Newell jr., the Space Admin
istration's assistant director
for space sciences, will be
used to investigate the other
problem planet, the worlds
next nearest neighbor except
Venus-MarS. Here there is
a high probability of some
sort of life, presumably of a
quite low order. Mars is
much smaller than the earth
and its surface gravity is
less than half as great as
that on earth. The atmos-
phere is only about a tenth
as dense as terrestrial atmos-
phere. Spectra of radiationS
from Mars indicate some
carbon dioxide and there ap-
pears to be a little water
vapor. There are no indica-
tionS Of any nitrogen.
Other Probes Planned
Probes also will be used
in an effort to determine
whether there is an atmos-
phere of any sort on the
moon. 1t generally is believed
that there is none, but
whether there may not be a
mixture of heavy gases very
close to the surface is an
open question. This is the
only kind Of atmosphere that
possibly could exist on the
earth's satellite where the
surface gravity is only a
sixth that of the earth and
a 60-pound child would
weigh only 10 pounds. Any
light gases would have es-
capped into space millions Of
years ago.
Probes also will be used to
investigate temperatures and
atmoSpheres of Jupiter and
Saturn where it is certain
that no life vaguely like ter
reStrial life possibly could
exist.
Evening star., 1959-12-18

those who are following. II
today there were a more sober
conception of the job of fl
nance director, his generation
of retirees might have a bet
ter chance, but that concep-
ton now is to spend, tax and
mortgage the future. and
to never, never think in
terms of cutting a coat ac-
cording to available cloth.
Benjamin Franklin must have
been a Communist-his line
of thinking was so foreign to
American ideals.
Would it not be ironic how
ever if the sales Of property
for taxes, which I so well
remember only a generation
ago, were to be resumed in a
few years time by a "for sale"
sign over Mr.. Hancock's own
sweet little retirement cot
tage? Sure, as he says, the
selling price would be inflated
by grace of living in wonder
full Montgomery County, but
his smiling face will be quite
a picture when he tries to
buy another-at an equally
inflated price-with what is
left from the tax bite, which
has finally come home to
roost.
Herbert j. Holland.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
Taxpayer labs Back at Blows at Pocketbook

The plight of the retired
person in Montgomery Coun-
ty, caused by school tax pres
sure, as outlined by Benz. S.
Elliott, is indeed a difficult
one. Retired persons are how
ever in the minority, without
effective organization, and
thus can safely be ignored.
The county's finance di-
rector, Mr.. Hancock, recently
made the official attitude
plain enough: Let them Ell
ther move Cor wither) away.
Consideration and fair play
for minorities is just not
politically profitable.
If the county'S near knock
out punch is not enough, let
the retiree dwell on what is
now being seriously con-
sidered as a supplement to
it. n a m ely, a revolution in
Federal tax laws. A recent is
sue of US. News and World
Report gives a good sum-
mary. Among the proposals:
ClD Rental value of the home
to be reported as income. 90
Deductions for mortgage in
'terest and property taxes
eliminated. 90 Social security
benefits, also medical and in
surance benefits contributed
by an employer to be taxed.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
The Cypriots Vote Wisely

The Greek community of Cyprus
has demonstrated both wisdom and
responsibility in electing Archbishop
MakarioS as the first President of what
will become an independent republic
next February. This is so for several
reasons, the first of them being that 1t
was the archbishop more than any other
individual who combined the qualities
of determined patriotism with realistic
craftsmanship in working out formula
for the islands future His influence
was great in the negotiations immedi-
ately preceding the signing of an agree
ment last February not only
to his Greek Cypriot followers but to
the Turkish minority and to three inter-
ested governments britain, Greece and
Turkey.
The election which has Just taken
place is one major step in implementing
that agreement. BY it's terms, the vice
president of the new republic will be a
Turkish Cypriot and Dr. FAIL Kutchuk,
another participant in the independence
negotiations, already has been chosen
by acclamation. Early next year a new
constitution will be completed and the
islanders will elect a parliament-ex-
pected to be unicameral body of about
fifty members.
Certain circumstances of the presi-
dental campaign, however, provide re-
assuring evidence of the sense of re-
sponsibility which appears to prevail
now in the Greek community. Two
factions which seemed most bent upon
Wrecking the independence agreement
before it became effective Joined in op-
posing the archbishop. One was an
energetic Communist group, theoreti-
cally outlaWed but running under the
front" of reform party, and the other
dle-hard right-wing clique that never
quite relinquished the goal of political
union with Greece. If this coalition had
succeeded, it is probable that the vio-
lence and bloodShed Of past years would
have returned. The Makarios victory bv
Evening star., 1959-12-18
Free Stote'

TIGG OIQI6
This is in reply to the some
what bad-tempered letter of
Stanley Lichtenstein con-
cerning establishment Of re-
ligious freedom in Maryland.
Possibly no one subject in
early Maryland history has
received quite so much atten-
ton from students Of history
or has been more thoroughly
investigated and documented
by many writers than this
matter of religious freedom.
There can be no real dis
pute about the fact that re-
ligious liberty was established
with the founding of the
colony in 1884. Further, there
is not a single case of perse-
cution that can be established
from the records during the
proprietorship control of Ce-
ciliuS and Charles Calvert,
the second and third Lord
Baltimores.
Those interested in the ORR
gin of the l649 ACT Concern
ing Religion might read what
Matthew Page Andrews has
to say on the subject in his
History of Maryland. While
the act appears to discrimi-
nate against DeistS and Jews.
the only court case on record
concerns Jacob Lumbrozo, of
the Jewish faith. who was
hailed into court in the mid
die 1600s because he denied
that Jesus Christ was a divine
person who had exercised mi
raculous powers. He was ac-
quilted on the ground that
there was nothing unlawful
in his honest expression Of
belief.
This tradition of tolerance
which was planted in Mary
land in the early days is a
matter of great significance.
AS a recent historian has re-
corded. I'm the march of
events through l776 toward
the Constitutional Conven-
ton. added significance is
given to the ordinance by the
role that Maryland played in
the Bill of Rights. Mary
lander Daniel Carroll was
among those who fashioned
the First Amendment, the
foundation of our religious
liberty" In this same con-
nection. President Eisenhower
has said. For this funda-
mental right, our citizens owe
a debt Of gratitude to the
founders of Maryland, who
welcomed settlers of every
creed to her hoSpitable
shores"
The 325th anniversary Gel
ebration of the founding of
Maryland at st. Marys City
was sponsored by the Re-
ligious Heritage of America,
a national interfaith group
emphasizing Americas spirit
ual background. To those of
us that were there, the cele-
bration was not "ill-founded,"
"tiresome" or "boastful"-
quite the contrary, Mr..
Lichtenstein.
Edwin w. Bethel.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
SuIvo at Navy

During the past IL months
employees Of the Naval
Weapons Plant have been
subjected to a constant bar
rage of rumors, hints. ETC.,
from high Navy officials as
to whether the plant would
be open or closed.
In the past, pride Of ac-
complishment and workman
ship was the trademark Of
the plant. To maintain such
a reputation, capable and
experienced men are re-
quired: however. it has be-
come increasingly difficult to
retain such men and practi-
cally impossible to recruit
with this ever-preSent threat
of closure.
This program Of harass-
ment could not have been
more effective if it were di-
rected in Moscow. No more
effective program could have
been initiated by high Navy
officials to strip a plant OF
its effectiveness and in effect
support the allegations Of
high overhead and costs. One
must conclude that the en-
tire program was planned to
evade the political repercus-
sions that were inevitable.
Recently local newspapers
carried detailed accounts Of
high military officials being
royalty entertained by in
dustry. This is not the ex-
ception but appears to be the
rule of today. How does this
differ from cash and gifts
purportedly given to disc
jockeys as "payola"? More
important, the Naval Weap-
ons Plant cannot use tax
payers dollars to entertain
these officials. 1t appears,
therefore, that the plant is
operating at a distinct dis
advantage. Perhaps if we
could entertain the right
people we would be more
successful in our quest for
work.
Ralph Thompson,
Vice President, Lodge No.
SO, American Federation
of Government Employees.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
Democratic Strife

Mrs. Roosevelt is quoted as
saying that it was time to
let some of the younger
Democrats run party affairs.
This Gould Lincoln inter-
prets as a "palpable shot" at
former President Truman.
If Mrs. Roosevelt would truly
like to see the reinS fall into
younger hands, she should
suit action to the word and
be the first to step aside. She
has not been backward in her
thumbs-up or down attitudes
on the Democratic hopefuls;
nor has she ever failed to
speak her piece.
Mr.. Truman, in warning
against dollhouse liberals, "
is doing his party a service
by attempting to head off
another Stevenson nomina-
ton, which he knows will
amount to political suicide.
But this is apparently Mrs.
Roosevelt's aim and intent.
A T.. IT.
Evening star., 1959-12-18

@. Which colors make a
room look larger-light colors
or dark ones? I'D.
A. Pale and pastel colors
make a room look larger. Bold
or dark colors seem to bring
things closer, hence are good
to use in large rooms or on
very high ceilings. In sunny
rooms, use cool colors (blues
and green's; in sunless rooms.
warmth and cheer are gained
by using reds, oranges and
yellows.
@. In folklore, who was the
demon Buldumech?-C. L.
A. Shah's Secret Lore of
Magic" lists Buldumech as
the demon who brings dis
cord between married couples.
He is banished by merely
writing the names of the an
cestorS Of Solomon on paper,
Evening star., 1959-12-18
THIS AND THAT
PORTER STREET
By CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL

PORTER STREET
Dear Sir:
II think one of the mistakes
Of the present age is crowding.
Everywhere you go you run
into crowds. The elevators
are full of people, and the
streets, the theaters, and the
shops.
This is good, of course, un-
less you happen to like pri-
vacy, or a resemblance there
to, and I do and 1 am very
much upset.
In the old days you could
go to a show without having
to push your way in, and it
was always a pleasure to
60 out for a walk, but I tried
it the other day. and after
stumbling over a sidewalk full
of children and dogs I came
back home.
Even our Office has been
invaded. Everybody has a
secretary, and I am told I
must have a secretary, too,
but I don't want a secretary.
IF I could have one in a
separate room, maybe she
wouldn't be too bad, but I
don't want one of those nosy
young girls breathing down
the back of my neck all the
time.
Maybe something will be
done about it, short of a big
war. A war takes the pressure
off, I must admit, but that
is a pretty bad way of solv-
ing any problem.
Yours truly, JIM D. D."
A famous Spanish philoso-
pher got ahead of you by
about 20 years, Jim.
He wrote a book, rather
difficult reading we found,
pointing out that people,
masses of people. are the sign
of this age.
Today things are much
worse. in this respect, than
they were when he wrote his
book.
Now there are so many
people that the lover of
privacy has no way of get
ting away from them at all.
He must grin and bear it,
as the old folks liked to say.
These old folks!
How knowledgable they
were, despite the fact that
science, as we call it, had
not come of age.
Now that it has, it is REIN
forcing many of the every
day findings of the old folks.
They knew a thing or two.
Just by daily observation
they came to vital conclu-
sions. This is really instinct.
Evening star., 1959-12-18

more than two-to-one margin prom
ises to eliminate this danger.
AS with virtually all new ventures
into independent government, the Cyp-
riot undertaking has tremendous tasks
ahead-politically and economically. Its
best chance Of success, however, lies in
the spirit of accommodation which al
ready has been displayed by Archbishop
Makarios and DR.. Kutchuk and has now
been Endorsed by their respective Cypriot
followers.
Evening star., 1959-12-18

Of a kind. It is a natural
doing because a thing works.
There is, in this sort of
knowledge, no proof.
No proof is needed.
1t seems to some that al
ways asking for proof puts
the onus upon the wrong
person. in many cases.
Take food that disagrees
with one.
How can you prove" that
it disagrees. especially to an
other with whom it does not
disagree?
Vegetable matters now
called poisons were found,
over the centuries to have
certain effects. Careful peo-
pie, hearing of this, let them
alone.
Children putting their
hands into flame soon find
that fire burns. They need
no further proof.
=
When it comes to finding
privacy in this modern world
of ours, we can prove nothing
at all to the person who likes
crowds.
Millions are conditioned,
from birth. to crowds and
crowding.
The strange fact is that
right in such families there
may grow up some little boy
or girl who cannot stand
crowds.
He may never revolt, but
the preSsures of people react
unpleasantly on him. He must
have solitude, now and then.
Such a person will be able
to sympathize with the strict
ly modern plight of our COR
respondent. He must have a
secretary whether he wants
one or not! He must have
Mabel breathing down his
neck, as he puts it, at all
hours of the business day.
Our advice is to place her
in an anteroom, where she
will be at call. but can do no
harm otherwise.
When it comes to a letter
or something, she will be
there, patiently waiting while
she drinks her coffee.
Our modern business world
floats on a sea of coffee.
Without coffee, the good ship
would founder. or something.
People drink coffee day and
night, and how they sleep at
all is a question, especially in
the minds of those who can
not drink coffee after IL
o'clock, noon.
Temp Jones says a cup at
2 o'clock will keep him awake
all night, and that isn't good.
Evening star., 1959-12-18

which charm is left in the
house. The charm is thus:
Thou art commanded by the
God of Abram, and the God
of Isaac. and the God Of
Jacob-leave this house in
peace!'"
@. How long has the Post
Office Department carried
packageS?-D. U.
A. Parcels have been car
ried by it since its establish
ment. Prior to 1912 the
limit of weight was 4 pounds.
The parcel post law was
enacted August "a, 1912, and
this act provided for the
extension of limits of weights
of parcels and provided zone
rates. 1t also contained pro-
visions for the establishment
Of c. o. D. and insured
services.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
Montgomery Zoninq

In 1776 our founding IA
theirs loaded Boston harbor
with tea to protest the injus-
tice of our English rulers.
In 1859 the citizens of
Montgomery County are
faced with having their
elected representatives re-
zone any and all available
property for commercial and
apartment development. This
is being done in spite Of the
protests Of county hometown
ers, who stand to lose thou
sands of dollars in property
devaluation, while the land
spectators gain the very dol
lars that they are losing
through the increased value
Of apartment property in
residential heighborhoods.
In rezoning application No.
l73. concerning IL acres at
VeirS Mill road and Connect
icut avenue in Wheaton. the
Park and Planning Board
recommended approval of the
application over the protests
of its technical staff, giving
only the reason that con-
struction of apartments will
relieve traffic congestion. A
member of the board, speak
ing at a civic meeting shortly
afterward. was asked if con-
struction of apartments at
an intersection would tend to
relieve traffic problems. His
reply was absolutely not!"
The County Council af-
f1rmed the Park and Plan
ming boards views and
granted the application, add
ing the fact that a telephone
exchange on the opposite cor
ner represented a change in
the character of the neigh
borhood. This in spite Of the
fact that the telephone COM
pany was granted a special
exception" as a public utility
to build in a single-family
residential zone. The Council
repeatedly stresses that spe-
cial exceptions to zoning are
not to be considered in re-
zoning applications when
ever anyone protests them,
but this appears to be for
gotten afterward.
The citizens Of the ada
cent neighborhoods are petit
tioning the County Council to
reconsider. The fact that
there are no apartments for
a Six-mile stretch - from
Wheaton proper (two miles
from the site) to Rockville
constitutes the worst type Of
spot zoning. The additional
fact that no need exists. for
there are no adjacent COM
mercial or industrial enter
prises which must be sup
piled with apartments for
their workers, and their &C
ton tends to benefit only the
speculator, while penalizing
the homeowner, should be
sufficient to change their
vote from 4-3 in favor to TO
against.
1t is unfortunate that the
County Council is not in the
tea business, as I would enjoy
tossing their tea bags in the
Potomac.
F. G. Brawley.
Evening star., 1959-12-18

Any life on Venus must be
hot life"
Temperature and atmos-
phere Of the worlds twin sis
ter, only about 26 million
miles away, which is just
around the corner in celestial
geography, will be checked
with rocket probes" soon to
be made by the National Aero
nautics and Space Admins
tration.
This planet is the mysteri-
GUS veiled lady of the solar
system. Its size and density
are about two-thirdS those of
the earth. 1t is of essentially
the same age. theoretically,
in some respects it seems the
most likely habitat of living
organisms in any way like
those Of this world. But all
evidence collected in the past
with conventional aStronom-
ical methods is difficult to
interpret and, in some ways,
quite contradictory. The
probes are expected to re-
solve some of these contra
dictions.
Temperature First
First comes temperature.
Measurements in the planets
tnfrared, or heat wave,
spectrum indicate an average
temperature of about 110 F,
This is about that Of the
earth on hot summer days
Organisms like men could
stand it. On the other hand
radio waves from the planet
indicate an average tempera-
ture of about $40 F. If any
life could exist in such &
furnace its molecules mus
be quite differently consti.
tuted and its evolution alonl
quite different paths from
terrestrial life. This doesn'
necessarily mean, however
that some sort of Living
things cannot exist on tht
sister planet.
1t now is considered quit,
probable, say NASA astron
omers, that the radio wav,
temperature is that of tn,
surface Of the planet anC
the infrared temperatur,
that Of the tops Of higl
clouds.
The atmosphere of Venus
tests to date indicate, is a
least twice as heavy as tn
earth's atmosphere. TIL,
probes are designed to col
lect samples of it. 1t i
Evening star., 1959-12-18
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used "
letters carry DriterS correct
names and addresses All
letters are subject to conden-
Sdtion.
Evening star., 1959-12-18
Questions and Answers

By THE HASKIN SERVICE
writing T6e star
addressed