davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Tunnels Again

There is strange mole-like propen-
Sity for burrowing under ground upon
which National Capital Planning Com
mission officials seem to keep falling
back when their controversial Wiscon-
sin avenue freeway proposals run into
trouble.
A couple of years ago, when the
planners favored Wisconsin corridor"
freeway that would wind down MaSSa-
chuSettS avenue, they proposed huge
tunnel in the Washington Cathedral
area to try to lessen the damage. This
scheme was examined as a curiosity, but
little more.
Now the planning director, William
E. Finley, suggests that couple of tun-
nelS be built, between Tenley circle and
Melvin Hazen Park, along an entirely
different route which would cross Rock
Creek Park and bring the freeway into
the downtown sector somewhere near
Fifteenth street NV. 1t is Mr.. Finley'S
contention that these tunnels (restrict-
ing the size of the freeway to four lanes)
would lessen damage to property in the
Tilden street and Thirty-Seventh street
areas, about which property owners have
expressed great apprehension.
Mr.. Finley should be commended
of course, for his concern about such
protests. But his new underground
operation is in no sense an answer to-
the basic question involved in the Wis
conSin avenue controversy Should any
freeway in this corridor be given an
immediate priority over a number of
other freewayS which will be proposed
in the forthcoming Mass transportation
Study report? Mr.. Finley obviously
hopes that it will We think the obvious
traffic problems in the Wisconsin avenue
area must be judged along with many
others to the north of Washington before
any hasty priorities are set up.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Poor Home Rule Choice

The Senate District Committee has
reported District home rule plan that,
we think, is less desirable than the adj
miniStration'S proposal for territorial
form of local government. And, being
so controversial, the approved bill-pro-
viding for city council SyStem-proba-
bly, stands less chance of passage than
the. plan backed by President Eisen-
hover and the District Commissioners.
The committee, in a surprise move,
voted in favor of the Morse proposal
for giving Washington an elected mayor,
non-voting delegate in the House and
city council. Senator Morse had de-
nounced territorial status, with a gov
ernor appointed by the President, as
half a loaf" The committees reason
for choosing the Morse bill presumably
will be explained later in its report.
AS for us, we regard both home
rule proposals as being far short of the
whole loaf of local suffrage that ought
to be granted District reSidents-that
is, the right to vote for President and
Vice President of the United States and
to have real representation in Congress.
The Morse bill is poor substitute for
the real thing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01

tion-the creation Of funds which would
be available for plant expansion and
improvement. Economic growth, the
productivity rate and ability of Ameri-
can industry to compete in both foreign
and domestic markets all are affected
disadVantageously AS 1t happens, this
impact increases sharply as the tax rate
approaches so per cent. The Korean
level, incidentally, was AT per cent and
there was at least an implied commit
ment eight years ago that it would re-
turn to that normal" rate when the
temporary" crisis ended. The same
commitment applied, of course, to the
excise taxes.
AS practical matter, politically as
well as economically, it is obvious that
piecemeal correction of these out-of-line
taxes is neither satisfactory nor feasible.
Revision in one category calls for com
penSating adjustment in another, again
for both political and economic reasons.
Chairman Mills of the House Ways and
Means Committee is proposing a COM
prehenSive tax overhaul study, to begin
next autumn. It will be a long and
difficult task, but it is a study that is
badly needed and should have bipartisan
support.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Red-Letter Day

Uncle Sam starts a new year today
with painful fiscal headache-a record
peacetime budget deficit for the twelve
months ending last midnight-and with
his usual dependence on certain num-
Der of so-called temporary remedies to
avert the same ailment year hence.
President Eisenhower, who asked last
January and again last month that the
prescription be ref1lled, welcomed the
principal one of these pain-killerS when
he signed legislation extending for still
another year set of special excise taxes
and a corporation income tax rate of
So per cent. Originally enacted in 1851
to help defray costs of the Korean War,
this combination of emergency" levieS
has now been extended on six occasions.
For full year, it is currently calculated
to represent $31 billion in revenue.
1t has been evident under the cir
cumStanceS prevailing during the years
of this particular temporary" tax for
mula that no administration could afford
to lose the revenue involved. The largest
budget surplus in any year since 1851
has been SIG billion The fact remains,
however, that this continued reliance
on taxes and rates which were not in
tended to be permanent reflects failure
to come to grips with the budget problem
either through a reduction of Gov
eminent spending or an overhauling of
the revenue-raiSing structure.
With regard to the latter alterna-
tive, authoritative studies have shown
that the So per cent rate on corporation
income tends to reduce capital forma-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Political Libel

The Supreme Court has thrown
what we think is much-needed pro-
lection around radio and televiSion sta
tons which may find themselves trapped
in the middle of political fights.
Federal law provides that the sta
tons, if they carry any political broad
cast, must make equal time available to
any legally qualified candidate. The
Federal law also forbidS station to
censor any such political broadcast, but
1t does not expressly shield the station
against damage suits for libelouS state
mentS made by a candidate. This, it
seems to us, leads to a condition of
manifest Injustice situation in which
a broadcaSting company is compelled by
Federal law to make time available to
a candidate, but is forbidden to edit out
libelous statements and is not protected
against damage suits resulting from such
statements.
The Supreme Court, in 5-to-4 de-
cision, has resolved this difficulty by
holding that Congress intended in such
situations to grant immunity from libel
suits brought under State laws. This
Interpretation of congressional intent
rests on rather Shaky factual founda-
tions And it is vigorously challenged
in a dissenting opinion joined in by
Justices Frankfurter, Harlan, Whitaker
and Stewart
For what layman's opinion is
worth, it seems to us that while the
dissenting justices may have the better
legal argument, logic and fairness are
on the side of Justice Blacks majority
ruling. It would be difficult to think of
anything more unjust than for the Fed
eral Government to compel a man to do
a given thing, and then to refuse to
protect him against the legal conSe-
quences of the compelled act.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Freedom VS.. Survival

In a recent letter, Mortimer
Frankel of New York City
sympathizes with the former
publishers of the China
Monthly Review, an American
m a gaZine published in
Shanghai. He feels that the
liberties of freedom of the
press have been denied these
people; that the United
States Government has &C
cused them of sedition be-
cause they published reports
and opinions criticizing our
Government during and after
the Korean War, and they
were accused of treason
which was never proved.
I'm sure Mr.. Frankel knows
all the facts which he is just
trying to whitewaSh. For the
benefit of those reading the
letter and not aware of the
circumstances surrounding
the case, let me cite it briefly.
According to the March
issue of National Republic,
the Americans involved were
indicted under a statute de-
signed for prosecuting per-
sons hindering the war effort.
These people had published
reports that the United States
was using germ warfare
during the Korean War.
There were ex-GIs who were
willing to testify that barge
loads of these magazines were
distributed among them by
the Communists in order to
brainwash them while they
we're prisoners of war, and to
convert them to communism.
A mistrial was declared
when the. presiding judge
used the word treason"
while the jury was out of the
courtroom. The press and
radio elaborated on this out
of all proportion in Cali
fornia. The defense attorneys
argued that sedition is limited
to events in the United States
or its admiralty jurisdiction.
And so Mr.. Frankel feels
our traditional freedoms are
being denied us. if. during
time of war, we are not al
lowed to help the enemy to
work against our own coun-
try. Our own complete free
dom is more important than
the survival of our native
land!
Nj. E. Hansen.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Capitol Cornerstone

1 was shocked to read that
the MaSonS, a religious and
secret organization, are going
to lay the cornerstone for the
Capitol's East Front on July
4, 1859.
The MaSons have no more
right to dedicate a public
building, which belongs to all
of us, than the Knights of
Columbus, the Seventh Day
Adventists or the followers of
Mary Baker Eddy.
If the dedication is allowed
to take place, it will be an in
suit to all Catholics and other
faiths as we'll. To soothe the
feelings of all, it would seem
to me that a minister, rabbi
and priest be given the honorS
of dedicating and laying the
cornerstone.
Herbert v. Hudgins.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
U.S.. Urged to Explore Ocean Bottom
By THOMAS R. HENRY

A deep boat" able to carry
a two-man crew seven miles
under the sea, is proposed by
the National Academy Of Sci
ences.
The design will be roughly
similar to that of the Euro
pean bathyscaph designed by
the Swiss scientist Auguste
Picard. first man TO ascend
into the stratosphere, but
with notable changes to per-
init exploration Of the seas
deepest floors. The second
craft built according to
Piccard's plans, was pur-
chased by the United States
Navy and now is being oper-
ated by the Office of Naval
Research, off San Diego. The
National Academy's oceanog-
raphy committee believes the
design can be greatly i'm
proved and urges that work
be started, probably with a
Federal appropriation, early
next year.
interchangeable Cabins
The proposed new ocean
bottom craft would have two
interchangeable cabins. The
first would be designed to
carry three men in safety to
a depth of about $4,000 feet,
a little over three miles. This
would be adequate, says a
report just released, for ex-
ploration of about 80 per cent
Of the sea floor all over the
world. The second cabin,
which could be attached at
will, is planned to carry two
men to $4,000 feet, the depth
encountered in the oceans
deepest trenches.
At either depth the craft
would be subjected to enor-
nous water pressureS from
which it would be necessary
to protect the crew. In both
cases possible submergence
of from six to twenty hours is
contemplated.
The additional depths, over
those possible to reach to-
day with a human crew, are
OF great Importance, says the
academy report. A submers-
ible limited to $4,000 feet
could investigate only so per
cent of the sea floor and one
limited to 10000 feet only "a
per cent. BY increasing the
operating depth by so per
cent, the oceanographers CAL
culate, it will be possible to
explore more than two-and-a
half times more of the ocean
bottom than would be pos
sible at 10000 feet. The limit
OF the present bathyscaph is
about $4,000 feet.
Much attention has been
given by the committee to
engineering details of the
proposed superintendent
and a list of requirements
proposed which, the report
says, represent carefully
considered compromises
which will allow the oceanog-
rapher to explore carefully
the full range of depth over
most of the oceans and at
the same time make it rea-
sonably easy for the craft to
be built. We see no need for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01

I doubt that Dante himself
could imagine a scene as hor-
rible as the so-called hear
ings now taking place in
Congress on the effects of
Limited" nuclear war.
Only madmen could calm
ly sit before the atomic en-
ergy subcommittee and talk
about a moderate" war
which would wipe out only
half the homes in the United
States. Presumably the rest
of "us" would calmly go
about our business while the
enemy" figured that would
be enough for this trip!
Every scientist knows that
a nuclear war could no more
be limited" than could
advanced cancer of tn e
brain. Either we end nuclear
testing, destroy the atomic
stockpiles, stop the insane
plan to give Herr Adenauer
nuclear weapons. and decide
once and for all that there
will be no more wars, or we
do not deserve anything but
the fate being planned for us
by the war-mad Pentagang-
sters to whom peace is anath-
ema.
Instead of doing their ut
most to put the damper on
the Geneva talks, our news
papers might, for once, try to
encourage the leaders of the
worlds most powerful ma
tions to make progress to-
ward peace instead of war!
G.. G.,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Smoking in Schools

The Superintendent Of
Schools expressed himself as
adamant in the future en-
forcement of the regulation
forbidding smoking in school
buildings" particularly by
teachers. I hold no tobacco
stock and / do not smoke
cigarettes (my weakness in
clineS toward the larger.
Sumatra wrapped package. to
which not many teachers are
attracted, and my sole rea-
son for intruding on your
time is to caution the Board
of Education, as it flips its
ashes in trays provided in
the board room of the Frank
lin School building, to refrain
from denying the friends Of
Lady Nicotine the small but
important comfort a few
drags on the weed affords.
Since the distaff side
adopted the suggestions of
the TV ads, many have
sought the privacy of the
teachers rest rooms between
classes and relaxed from the
confusion and difficulties of
overcrowded class rooms, dis
cuSSing ways and means to
carry on with others of their
ilk under the soothing in
f1uence of the tube which has
everything up front. After
each session they returned to
the battle refreshed and
heartened. No fire has result
ed to my knowledge, no bad
example is set for the young
fry. no harm is done to any
one. The Fire Department
should not object if the rest
rooms were made f1reproof
(Which could be done at
small eXpense), and every
body would be happy. 1t is
difficult for non-smokers to
appreciate the discomfort and
unhappiness connected with
deprivation of an occasional
visit to Lady Nicotine. Wash
ington school teachers are
performing a great job under
severe handicaps, and any
concession which can be
made for their pleasure and
comfort will meet with the
approval of the Washington
public.
James A. Cannon, ST., MD.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Money for Space

Not many months ago, after the
Kremlin had successfully launched the
first man-made moon in history, our
Congress rang with eloquent and even
historical speeches calling for bold and
imaginative action without moments
delay, and hang the expense!) to insure
that our country would be second to
none in space.
Then, in series of unusually swift
hearings and admirable moves, the
House and Senate agreed upon the es-
tabliShment of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration. AS pro-
claimed at its birth, this civilian agency
headed by DR.. T. Keith Glennan-was
brought into being to establish Ameri-
can leadership on the pathway to the
stars. To that end, as soon as it began
to operate, it drafted a far ranging
program of satellite launchingS, lunar
probes and such other fantastic ventures
as Project Mercury-a project in which
the United States has committed itself
to try orbiting a man.around the earth
before the Soviet Union does
All this, despite the great and in
eScapable expense implicit in it, won
the enthusiastic approval of Congress.
1t did SO as program deemed essential
both to the prestige and security of our
country. Yet, strangely enough, with
an inconsistency which even big minds
ought to view as hobgoblin, the House
has just voted to slash more than 500
million from the $3.50 million requested
by President Eisenhower for NASA'S OPP
erationS during the coming fiscal year.
This economizing action, moreover, has
been taken in the teeth of an admins
tration warning, as voiced by DR.. Glen.
nan, that the agency's original budget,
because of rising costs in the meantime,
has become tighter and tighter until
there is less than any slack in it,"
What does it mean to take 500 mil
lion out of such budget? Because of
the nature of the work involved, precise
answers are difficult, but this much may
be viewed as certainty: The House cut,
if it prevails, will require sharp cur
tailment (more than 10 per cent? of
planned research and development.re-
garded as of vital Importance to our
national effort to attain leadership in
space. Further, again if it prevails, the
cut will slow down Project Mercury in
way that will increase the possibility,
if not the probability, that Russian
will be the first man to orbit safely
around the earth. This is a point that
speaks for itself, and Congress and the
country at large can i'll afford to Shrug
it off.
In these circumstances, the Senate
ought to restore to the NASA all of the
funds that the House has taken away.
Senator Johnson, the majority leader,
has been one of the most eloquent
advocates of American supremacy in
space, and we hope he will use his
powerful influence to see to it that the
people who are supposed to lead us
along that line are given enough money
to do it,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

sale of air conditioners is
due to sensitive people whose
noses cannot stand the per-
petual assault of burning
meat.
This is, really, something
new on the landscape. Ones
own cooking odors are not so
bad, but when they are other
peoples, that's something
different!
People have brought suits
against neighbors, in this re-
gard, but they do not come
to anything except i'll feel
ing.
One might as we'll close all
doors and windows and wait
for the wind to change.
1t is easier that way. and
after an hour or two, one
may open doors and windows
again.
In the meantime, the air
conditioner will do its best
to make everything home
like and sweet smelling
again.
If some frying odors come
in, anyway, despite this
great modern invention. then
turn it off, and try an old
fashioned electric fan.
This will give you the IL
fusion of GOODNESS until the
party next door is over, and
Gods own pure air, with lust
a touch of smoke on the,
side, can enter in.
~ X
Above all, Helen, do not go,
frantic about it.
Remember that in a democ-
racy everybody has the
plain right, guaranteed by
the Constitution, to annoy
his neighbors as. much as he
wants to.
You are just fortunate if
for some obscure reason, he
doesn't want to.
Court decisions say there
is nothing you can do about
it.
Common experience saws
there is, in sort of vague
way:
Find something that will
annoy the guy, in his turn.
Then couple this with the
polite suggestion that I'll
quit, if you quit.
Sometimes it works.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Q STREET

" STREET
Dear Sir:
What is there I can do
to stop my next door neigh
Dor from cooking meat in his
yard? He has one of those
grille affairs, on legs, and he
rolls it right beneath our
windows.
Il wouldn't mind so much
If it was just an occasional
thing, but it goes on every
evening, and this blue smoke
from frying meat fills our
house from the first floor to
the roof.
This is a very disturbing
smell to us. we suffer from
allergy, and find this smell
irritates the Innings of nose
and throat.
II you know anything we
can do, besides shooting the
guy, please tell us, as our
home life is being wrecked.
what with hamburgers on
Mondays, veal on Tuesday,
chops on Wednesday and
what I suspect is roast pig
on Thursday.
"Frantically, Helen e."
x X x
Dear Helen, there is Moth
ing you can do about it.
We have no suggestions.
eve have a next door neigh
Dor, too
1t is just one of the things
one must put up with in this
fine modern age replete with
screaming pools, fumes from
automobiles, noise from
planes, roarS from power
mowers, frying smells from
cook-outS, and, in the back
ground. offstage, as it were,
the ever present threat of
total destruction from bombs.
This is the modern city and
suburban scene, and we are
terribly afraid there is moth
ing much any one of us or
. any collection of us can do
anything about.
One of the lesser nuisances
is the lookout. All people
love to eat.
Friendly people, loving
their own kind, stand amid
the garbage cans with crooked
arms, d-fashioneds in hand,
to pose as cocktail devotees,
and there is nothing we can
do about it except smile.
They love to cook, and they
love to have their friends
around. so what?
This is America, the big
and the roaring, and as long
as it shall wave there will be
noise and confusion in
summer.
Summer is the noise time.
Summer means that the
patio comes into its own
Winter and fall, people more
or less stay indoors with their
shrill laughter, but in sum-
mer! That's when the noise
begins.
\
We would suggest to Helen
that she close all the win
dows and doors.
Perhaps something of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01

legislation, the FOOLS method
of solving every problem, to
put an end to trash that is
injuring bodily and mentally
their poor children.
I suggest that the worried
parents censor their own
children's literature, if they
can tear themselves away
from the television long
enough to do so.
Thomas WaSOn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-01
Lady ChotterIey

1t is quite obvious that
Miss Quinter has not read
Lady Chatterley's Lover"
She should run, not walk, to
the nearest book store and
buy herself a copy, as we'll
as Sons and Lovers" 1.-THE
Rainbow" and Women in
Love-" Then perhaps she
may be qualified to make a
criticism.
Does Miss Quinter know
that Lawrence originally en-
titled the book Tender
nesS?" I regard Lawrence as
the most important writer so
far in this century and GER
tainly one who really had
something original to say.
Lady Chatterley's Lover" is
not the best of Lawrence'S
books due to the propaganda
he interpoSeS against the in
duStrial age-propaganda in
which all would agree-but
not artistic.
AS to Mr.. Summerfield'S
position officially I doubt
that Mr.. Summerfleld found
anything in the book that he
didn't already know-and I
doubt that personally he
found anything Objectionable
and what did Mrs. Sum-
merfeld think if she read
over his shoulder? 1t is pri-
marily a woman's book.
Lawrence knew women. I
wouldn't have wanted to
grow up not knowing Law
renee and 1 have-practi"a1lv
everything he wrote. THE
Lost Girl" is my favorite.
Mabel Van Dyke Baer
X X X X
1t seems that everyone is
supposed to have an opinion
about the Arthur Summer
f1eld-Lady Chatterley caper.
In regard to the Postmaster,
I find myself in the same
boat with the lady on the bus
who was overheard telling a
friend: lone thing I cannot
understand is how a nice
man like Mr.. Summerfield
ever got mixed up with that
Chatterley woman in the first
place"
Laura X. Pollock.
X 4 X x
Far too often people de-
nounce books, music and
paintings they know nothing
about as filth, trash or
obscene. They scream for