davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Pleasant River Prospect

1t has become gratifyinely evident
that serious attention is being given the
problem of cleaning up the Potomac
River below Georgetown as we'll as
above the water supply intake. There
is no foreSeeable prospect, of course, of
purifying the tidal section of the river
to the extent hoped for above Little
Falls. But it would be pleasant to know
that the section between Little Falls
and Key Bridge was sufficiently free of
sewage to make it safe for swimming.
And swimmers will have this assurance
if revised plans of the District sanitary
engineers are carried out.
The river is not safe for swimming
now because of the discharge of raw
sewage into the tidal area whenever a
rain overloadS the combined sewage
storm water sewers which for many
years have served the downtown dis
trict. Newer parts of the city have
separate lines for storm drainage and
for Sewage-and the redeveloped South
west also will have double system. In
order to reduce the amount of raw sew
age entering the river along the older
part of the city, the District plans to
build a trunk sewer from the Chain
Bridge area to Blue Plains.
The trunk sewer, according to David
Aud, director of sanitary engineering,
is part of six-year public works pro-
gram which will be given priority. Mr..
Aud believes that swimmers will be
cavorting in the river above Georgetown
by 1866. Thus, the forgotten
pleasures of the old swimming hole days
will return-at least in that limited part
of the stream.
More important than the cleanup
below Chain Bridge, however, is the
safeguarding of the Potomac against
threats of pollution upstream from
Little Falls, where the District taps the
river for drinking water. BY order Of
the President, a special study is being
made of this problem. And if the con-
sensus of the experts prevails, the solu-
ton will involve another trunk sewer
line-thiS one on the Virginia side of
the river, to convey sewage from the
Chantilly airport and surrounding COM
munitieS to the District treatment plant
at Blue Plains. There appears to be no
other reliable way to provide river
safe for drinking water purposes above
Little Falls and safe for swimming
downstream.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
BroyhWs Pay Bill

Representative Broyhill,
Republican Of Virginia, is to
be congratulated for intro
ducing a bill that would per-
NIT Government employees in
grades GS-11 and above to
receive in-grade step in
creases every So weeks like
the lower-graded employees III
the General Schedule of the
Classification Act of 1949.
This would not only benefit
the higher-graded employees
but would encourage those in
lower grades who hope some
day-through initiative, in
telligence, and perseverance
to be in GS-11 or higher.
I agree with Mr.. Broyhill.
There appears to be no valid
reason why some civil serv-
ants should have to wait
longer than others for peri
odic step increases just be-
cause they are in higher
grades. This inequity should
be eliminated, and it is hoped
that the other members of
the House Post Once and
Civil Service Committee will
support this bill.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
10th STREET,

4OCLl = EOE6 i.
Dear Sir:
I'VE have in our neighbour
hood one of these human
pests who thinks squirrels are
nuiSances and ought to be ex-
terminated.
Il thought maybe you could
give me a list Of reasons why
we should all protect the gray
squirrels and be fond of them.
Il do all I can to help
them, being delighted with
them, and so do all my neigh
bors except this one woman.
1T has always seemed to
me when a woman takes this
tack, she is worse than a
man.
II know your friendliness
toward squirrels, and hope
you can give some reasons I
can spring on this lady, from
time to time, in the nope
that she may grow wise.
Sincerely. H. j. E."
Il Il 4 +
theoretically, the squirrel
needs no defenders.
Actually, he sometimes
does, as our correspondent
points out.
Temp Jones was walking
along Connecticut avenue one
afternoon.
Going along by a drug
store, he stopped on the curb
to watch two pigeons.
They had flown down, and
were hard at their task OF
trying to keep the city clean.
They were pecking away at a
scrap of food dropped by
some careless human.
Just then an old lady came
by. She was not a very pre-
possessing old lady, as some
are. She seemed to be in a
terrible rage about something
y = 4 +
MAKE them go away,
make them go away" she
gritted.
Jones looked around, ex-
pecting enemies with drawn
daggers, but saw nothing.
II hate them, I hate them, I"
grated the lady, frowning fe-
rociously.
At last it dawned upon
Jones. She hated the pigeons |!
She wanted them to go away,
and soon succeeded in her
desire, by rushing over and
waving her arms.
The pigeons tapped their
wings in her face, and few
to the roof of the store.
Il hate them, 1 hate
them" growled the old
woman.
She wasn't going to give
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
McGHI on FDR

I'd like to compliment
Ralph McGill on his article
on Monday. September 81. in
reference to the Khrushchev
visit to Hyde Park.
FDR was indeed one of the
greatest men that ever lived.
AS Mr.. McGill pointed out,
There are still those who
mock at the old WPA days
as boondoggles." But these
jobs fed several hundred
Thousand people and kept
body and soul together.
Mr.. Dulles, before his I'M
= timely death, had remarked
the Yalta agreements we're
good-Russia just didn't live
up to agreements.
1t does well to pause and
think every once in a while
what a truly great man FDR
was.
Francis A. COnnors.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Test for the Russians

In Terms OF elCner collars OF ruDleS,
trade between the United States and
the Soviet Union is not likely to reach
any dramatically large volume in the
foreSeeable future. We have access to
other and more dependable sources for
most of the things which Russia has in
greatest primarily certain
raw materials. In turn, our speciality
products, such as equipment for the
petro-chemical industry, which the So
Wet Union is believed anxious to obtain
here, are in relatively short supply
Nevertheless, if there is to be real
thaw in the cold war, Premier Khru-
shchev and his visiting deputies who
preceded him here have made it clear
that there must be an easing of trade
relations between the two countries.
Perhaps Mr.. KhruShchev supplied the
best explanation for this inSiStence in
his obviously touchy reaction to any,
thing which he interpreted as diScrimi-
natory toward the Soviet Union. Quick
to emphasize that he was not begging"
for anything, he also taunted Ameri-
cans who FUSED to be very bold" in trad
"afraid to stick their noses out for fear
the devil will imprison their SOUL" And
while not asking for credits here, he
pointed out that credits are available to
the Soviet Union in practically every
other country of the free world.
Against this background of COM
merce mixed with psychology, Under
secretary of State Dillon has announced
that we are willing to talk business, and
reopening of negotiations for settlement
of the World War II end-leaSe debt has
been chosen as a starting point. From
an original estimate of $2.6 billion, we
had by 1852 reduced our demands on
this account to $500 million. In the
same chapter of negotiations, the Rus
SLAMS had increased their initial settle
ment offer from $170 million to $500
million. Presumably, the new negotia-
tons will start with these figures.
There are, as Mr.. Dillon has pointed
out and as the Russians are aware, legal
restrictions to RuSSian-American trade
discriminatory duties against certain
imports from the Soviet Union and pro-
hibitionS against extending either public
or private credit to countries in default
on debts-which cannot be removed by
negotiation alone. Congressional action
would be needed. Mr.. Dillon has said,
however, that the administration might
ask such action-if some preliminary
agreements can be reached by negotia-
ton. The next step is to test Russian
reaSonableneSS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Dissension in Ranks

Although "Semper Fl" may
wear a Marine uniform, he is
obviously not a Marin e.
Furthermore, he seems to be
confused on the difference
between progress" and
purge" The fact that Maj.
Gen. Shoup was chosen as
best qualified to be the new
Commandant of the Marine
Corps, though there were a
number of generals senior to
him, is scarcely cause for
comment. When Thomas D.
Holcombe was selected as
Commandant in 1896, the
President reached way down
the list to get the man best
suited for the job. Gen. Hol-
combe was then the third
most Junior brigadier gen.
eral in the Marine Corps.
More recently when Admiral
Arleigh Burke was first
named as emo, there were
on the active list of the Navy
approximately 95 officers
senior to him. The wisdom
of those choices is amply
documented by the great
achievements of Gen. Hol-
combe and Admiral Burke.
The utter disloyalty and
snide implications evident in
Semper Fi's letter might give
Mr.. K. some satisfaction were
such opinions widely held
within the corps. 1 can as
sure Mr.. K. that such is not
the case. True Marines every
where applaud the selection
of Gen. Shoup as the new
Commandant of the Marine
Corps.
Marine
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Restraining Red China

There is nothing in Nikita Khru-
shchev'S remarks in Peiping which lends
encouragement to those Americans who
have been suggesting that the Soviet
Premier has some personal responsible
ity for the ugly events in Tibet, Laos
and along the Indian border.
The reasoning of these critics, if it
can be called reasoning, runs something
like this: Communists have been in
volved in the troubles in Tibet, Laos,
etc. Mr.. Khrushchev is Communist.
Therefore, he is responsible for what
has happened and is culpable in failing
to put stop to it. This, of course, is
SheereSt nonsense, and is just as illogical
as contending that the United States,
because it is a capitalist country, was
responsible for the Anglo-French attack
on Suez, since they, too, are more or less
capitalist countries.
There is not the slightest bit of
evidence that Mr.. Khrushchev was in
any way responsible, to take one ex-
ample, for Communist China's ruthless
slaughter in Tibet. Nor is there any
reason to believe, as far as we know,
that Mr.. Khrushchev can order the
Chinese to do one thing or to refrain
from doing another. At best, he can
try to persuade them, and it is signifi-
cant, we think, that this is what he
seems to be trying to do
In his Peiping comments, the So
Wet Premier urged that we, meaning
the Communist countries, must do
everything possible to preclude war as
a means for settling outstanding queS-
tions-we must make all efforts to
create conditions for establishment of
world peace"
Assuming good faith, this means
that Mr.. Khrushchev, instead of stirring
up trouble in Asia, is endeavoring to
calm things down. The Communist
Chinese may or may not accept his adj
vice. But instead of sniping at the man,
the critics should give the Soviet leader
credit for what he seems to be trying
to do.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02

Washington'S chances Of getting the
1864 Worlds Fair have been materially
improved as a result of the senatorial
support given our city's planned bid for
the big exposition. The fact that 81
Senators have signed statement urg-'
ing that the fair be held here is i'm
portant for another reason: It should
end efforts of New York legislators to
have their city designated by Congress
as the site for the fair 1t was these
efforts which defeated the sensible Full
bright resolution to create an impartial
citizens committee on choice of a site.
1t may be inferred from the state
ment that If the Fulbright measure had
gone to vote on the floor it would have
passed. But the sense of the resolution
still can be carried out by voluntary
action of the President. He can direct
the State Department to negotiate with
the International Bureau of Expeditions
in Paris for the holding of the 1864 fair
In the United States-for the bureaus
approval is essential to success of any
such show. And he can appoint repre-
sentative citizens group to recommend
site for the fair. The governing prin-
ciple in making the choice, of course,
should be the national, rather than
some local, interest.
We are confident that such commit
tee would come to the same conclusion
as that of the 81 Senators, namely, that
cit would be most appropriate to hold
such an exposition in our Nations Cap
ital 4. =. a city of great natural and archi-
tectural beauty and historic interest"
and one that lis today more than ever
a free world capital of symbolic i'm
portance in the struggle for freedom
and peace"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Peace and Quiet

Now that Mr.. Khrushchev
has left our shores, I do hope
that the newspaper COM
ment, television and radio
broadcasts about our recent
visitor will simmer down and
give the Administration an
opportunity to work out
what we all hope, will be,
peace in our time"
From listening to news
commentators, and from my
observation, there are two
existing views. The stronger
one seems to be pessimistic,
and the other, in my opin-
ion the saner one, is OPP
timism. 1t is yet too early
to forecast actually what the
Soviet Premier's visit to this
country will accomplish, but
for the sake of all of us,
stop the imposing headlines.
stop all the criticism, and
above all stop guessing and
predicting and give the re-
spective countries a period
of calm, just long enough to
permit some accomplish
ment. Who knows?
Herman M. Young
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES (. TRACEWELL

up her hate for anything or
anybody, Jones thought. It
was very dear to her.
With all the real enemies
OF love and progress, she
concentrated on two good
birds which help daily to
keep the city clear of refuse.
1t was solely by chance
that Jones met the same
woman the next day, at
about the same time.
This time it wasn't pigeons.
but bicycles.
Boys bicycles, parked out
side the drugstore while
their owners were inside i'm
billing cokes.
This time the avenger
didn't say a word.
She just made a Decline
toward the bicycles. There
were five of them. parked in
a sort of row.
With one vicious swing Of
her sturdy right arm, the
woman gave the first bike
a push.
Then they all went down.
just as pins do on a bowling
alley.
The clatter could have
been heard a block away.
If it hadn't been for the
noise of traffic.
The pigeon and boy hater
smiled msliciously and trium-
phantly. She reminded Jones
OF his mental pictures of the
wild women of the French
reVOluClOn.
+
BY contrast, the people who
like squirrels are angels, and
may SO regard themselves.
At least, that is what our
squirrel friends tell us.
They say that many thou
sands of Washingtonians feed
them every day, and are
amused by their antics.
They say that they are &C
cepted along with songbirds
at thousands of feeding sta
tons in and around the Ma
tional Capital, and why not?
Squirrels bring a whole
new sense Of joy and life to
those sensible enough to look.
watch them and admire
them, and feed them.
These natural acrobats are
SO close to birds in so many
ways that they really belong
with their winged friends.
It's all a question of what
you love and what you hate,
in this odd world in which all
life finds itself for a time.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Beware of SwindIers

I ask that you help us to
publicize an extremely shock
ing incident which has in
volved the name of the in
nocent Washington Home for
Incurables in one of the
blacklist pieces of swindling
we have ever encountered.
Recently, in an apartment
building on Connecticut Ave-
nue., an elderly lady who is
one of the Homes sponsors,
was shamelessly bilked Of $50
by a pair Of young women
who represented themselves
as solicitors of charity dona-
lions to the Washington
Home for Incurables.
The young women, who
may for all we know have
used the same trick to swindle
others in the same building
or other apartment houses,
appeared at the door of our
sponsor, asking the lady's
nurse on duty if they could
see her. Without waiting to
be told that she could see
no one, they pushed past the
nurse and entered the living
room, where our sponsor was
sitting.
Hello, Mrs. Blank" one of
the young women said. II
haven't seen you in nearly a
year! How nice to see you
again! I've come for your an
nual donation to the Home
for Incurables."
Our. sponsor. not knowing
the young women but taking
them at their declared face
value, asked the nurse for
her purse and gave them $24.
"Oh, but Mrs. Blank" said
the young women, you know
that isn't right! You usually
give $50!"
The elderly lady then
added 500 to the amount
(she usually donates $40 a
year to the Home), and the
two young women disap-
peared, later to be seen by
other tenants in the build
ing, presumably on similar
collecting" errands. Our
sponsors nurse, suspicious of
the approach, inquired of the
Homes management, and
was told that the Home new
er engages in any kind Of
solicitation in this fashion.
We have reported this in
cident to the police, natural
ly. They have told us, after in
vestigation, that it is the
usual method of operation
of such young women to
canvass an area. thoroughly
and quickly, and then leave
the city before they can be
traced. Our purpose in wish
ing it publicized, of course, is
to make it perfectly clear to
every Washington resident
that the Washington Home
for Incurables never employs
solicitors of donations in any
such fashion, and that all
such appeals should be de-
MED.
Mrs. Richard T. Mcdonnell,
President, Washington Home
for Incurables.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02

admit him to their atomic
club" We and the British
have given him no weapons
and no help in making them.
Meantime, 1t is foreseen
here that II Mr.. Khrushchev
agrees to something really
useful in the disarmament
field he will Of course insist
upon an all-Western concur
renee in it. But Gen. de
Gaulle, whom we refused to
let into our club. will now be
able to be troublesome, in
deed.
De Gaulle's Position
He can. If he wishes, sim
ply observe: mo doubt you
American and British fell
lows have won a famous VIC
tory in negotiating an atomic
standstill with the Russians.
But of course since you never
regarded France as a part of
your atomic enterprise you
will not now presume to ask
France to enter any kind of
understanding with the Rus
slams on a matter where you
never offered France herself
any understandings"
Gen. de Gaulle, in a word,
could put a very large French
spoke in this wheel. He
would not be too disin-
clined to do so anyhow, even
apart from his resentment
over the atomic club black
ball.
His foreign minister, Maui
rice Couve de Murville, has
just let fall some SOLDERING
words in the United Nations
General Assembly. He spoke
with far less happy optimism
than the American and Brit
iSh spokesman. He simply
made it plain that a thing
expressed in a short word of
long meaning-the word
"trust"-had to be very
present before France would
agree to any kind of dis
armament.
For Frances part, he de-
clared, many settlements of
issues with the Russians had
to be made before disarma-
ment could be seriously
talked about.
The Eisenhower admins
tration has, Of course, never
opposed the French Presi-
dents visit. But its welcome
may become more and more
enthusiastic by the time he
does arrive, and f1guratively
cries out as he looks to the
plaza across from the White
House: Lafayette Park,
here I ami"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
Detroit Is Trying

Some six weeks ago Representative
Diggs, a Negro Congressman from
Detroit, saw gang of young Negro
hoodlumS assault and rob Negro man
at Logan circle. 1t was a shocking
experience for Mr.. Diggs, who described
the attackers as behaving like "a pack
of wolves"
The Detroit Congressman, who
need not apologize to anyone for his
efforts in behalf of fair treatment for
members of his own race, thought some
thing should be done about the situa-
ton in Washington. Conceding that
certain conditions" tend to produce
this kind of antiSocial attitude, Mr..
DiggS went on to say that I'VE need
more responsibility on the part of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
NE. Health Center

The League of Women
Voters of the District of
Columbia noted with real
distress the action of the
Budget Office in denying
funds requested by the De-
partment of Public Health
for construction of a Health
Center in the Far Northeast.
This action, combined with
cuts previously announced
in other Health Department
requests, means that our
city will not see the progress
it deserves in public health
in the next fiscal year.
Public health is one of the
basic services in modern
urban communities. Not only
the needy or even the medi-
cally INDECENT, but all resi-
dents benefit from a COM
prehensive, up-to-date pro-
gram of preventive, educa-
tional and environmental
health services. Just as
everyone is threatened by an
epidemic. so everyone is
benefited by adequate sani-
tary inspectors. public health
nurses for schools and home
visits, infant and crippled
children's clinics, mental
health services, and tuber-
culosis detection, to mention
only some of our Health De-
partment's activities. Unfor-
tunately. what should be
everybody's concern is often
nobody's; the League of
Women Voters hopes that
the Commissioners, With
their responsibility for the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02

total well-being Of our COM
munity, will provide more
amply for this department
We are well aware of the
financial pressures facing the
city and of the many COM
peting claims for scarce
funds. Nevertheless, we be-
lieve that money spent to
maintain and raise the
health level of our popula-
ton is a wise investment fol-
our future.
Mrs. Haskell ROsenblum,
President, D. c. League Of
Women's Voters.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-02
THE PASSING SCENE
De GouIIe Visit to Raise Problems
By WILLIAM S. WHITE

In q strange new world
where the truly lofty foreign
policy is conducted only by
VIPs hurting the seas in Jet
airliners. the next big jour-
ney probably will be by Pres
ident Charles de Gaulle of
France.
1t is authoritatively pre-
dicted here that this VIP
very important person. win
visit President Eisenhower
early next year. This-we
hope-will be after some
good, sound settlement by
Gen. de Gaulle of the rebel
lion in Algeria. And it will,
at any rate, be before Mr.. Ell
senhower's return visit to
Nikita Khrushchev in Mos
COW.
1t is possible that our tall
and enormously correct and
remote French visitor may
provide in his way almost as
sensitive a problem in handl-
ing as did the short and
folksy Khrushchev. Mr.. KS
trip seems to have Clipped
away a little of the East
West cold war ice.
The job now will be to
persuade Gen. de Gaulle not
to form a fresh ice belt of his
own around relations within
the Western Alliance itself
The best possible friendly
persuasion would be to helr
him resolve his dilemma in
Algeria. State Department
people at this moment are
earnestly scratching their
heads over how to do this
without getting us too in.
volved in North Africa.
But if we can't find a means
to assist Gen. de Gaulle of
the hook there - and this
unhappily, is the greater
probability - there are hare
times ahead.
Change in Attitude
Gen. de Gaulle originally
was chilly toward the Eisen.
hover = K brush chew ex.
changes. La ely, he ha.
warmed up a bit toward them
But now, since the American
and Soviet leaders have in.
dicated that nuclear disarm.
ament is the best possibility
for fruitful negotiations, the
French President is in posi-
ton to raise immense fresh
difficulties.
Not the least of the gloomy
generals many dissatisfac.
lions with his Western part
ners is the long refusal of the
United States and Britain tc