davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Small Step Forward

In the few minutes it took to clear
the District budget the other day, several
House members patted themselves on the
back with considerable satisfaction for
using a new formula" for setting the
size of the Federal payment. The size
was S25 millionaire same amount which
was granted last year, and still 81 mil
lion below the $32 million Congress has
authorized. The basis for setting this
years SIS million, however, was an eSti-
mate of the real estate taxes that nor
mally would be due on all Federal and
other tax-exempt property in the Ma
tons Capital.
Well, we're little heSitant to COM
plain. Because, actually, the House has
moved in the right direction by using
some tangible basis for setting the pay
ment, instead of the aimleSS hit-or miss
technique which has been its usual prac-
tice. But the fact is, of course, that the
real estate tax isn't a proper basis. What
the House Appropriations Ccr1r'ittce has
done is to estimate payment in lieu of
taxes for Washington'S major industry
the Government-whichl leaves out about
half the taxes such an industry would
pay in other cities. AS the Commission
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
First Entry!

Senator Humphrey is taking a CAL
culated, but virtually enforced, risk in
the early announcement of his can
didacy for the Democratic presidential
nomination: For the burden is upon the
eloquent and energetic MinneSotan,
operating without the advantage of a
politically strategic geographical base,
to demonstrate sufficiently widespread
support to command a hard bloc of
convention delegates.
In this need Mr. Humphrey is less
favored at the present time, for example,
than Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts
generally considered today'S 'front.'
runner even though he has not formally
announced his candidacy. Safely in Mr..
Kennedy'S hands, if he wants them, are
his own large Bay State delegation and
probably those from the remaining New
England States. AS a national figure
since his "near-miSs" for the party's
vice presidential nomination in 1856, Mr..
Kennedy likewise has retained political
momentum in other sections of the
country which has not yet been matched
openly by others-including Mr.. Hum
phrey. Although a strategy Of holding
back in hopes Of convention deadlock
and trading opportunities may offer
promise to favorite sons and dark horses,
there is an obvious risk in leaving the
field open too long to one potential can
didate. In making his challenge, Mr..
Humphrey is gambling on promoting
himself. To whatever degree he succeeds,
collateral effect is likely to be slow
ing down of the Kennedy band wagon.
Mr.. Humphrey is not, of course,
starting completely from scratch or
without ammunition. Now in his second
term in the Senate, he has proved him
self Woodworking as legislator and
practicing politician. His interests in
the former field have varied widely
among such problems as agriculture,
labor, civil rights and foreign policy. He
is clearly identified as liberal and has
grounds for claiming support from
liberal organizations, such as the Ameri-
cans for Democratic Action, from organ
lied labor and from the farm vote. In
recent months, preceding his not I'M
expected announcement, he has prac-
ticed his political talents in geographical
sections outside his own-from Cali
fornia to New York. He has indicated
he will enter the Wisconsin primary on
April 5. A similar decision by Mr.. Ken
nedy, and the results thereof, would
afford the first good measure of their
respective strengths. 1t will be of in
terest to more than the Humphrey and
Kennedy families.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Mr.. Khrushchev's PIedqe

For whatever words are worth, some
of those spoken by Nikita KhruShchev
at the Congress of Miners Unions in
Poland warrant a thoughtful reading.
For in his far-ranging impromptu ad-
dress the Soviet Premier did more than
bid for Western headlines with his SOL
emn pledge that never, never, never
shall we launch any war against any
country anywhere at any time" In eff
feet, he explained with considerable elo-
quence why he may in fact consider
a policy of military nonaggreSsion eS-
Sential if there is to be world victory
for communism.
This is not so, of course, because Mr..
KhruShchev has become man Of peace
in the real sense of the word, or be-
cause he lacks confidence in the power
of Soviet ornaments. He boosted again,
in fact, of a Soviet lead in interconti-
mental balliStic missiles, of the greater
destructive power which Soviet rockets"
could deliver upon an enemy, and of the
balance of forces" being overwhelm-
ingly on the Communist side. But Mr..
Khrushchev, realiSt that he is, acknowl-
edged also that next war, if all out in
its employment of such weapons, would
mean calamity for all humanity
Communist and otherwise.
Perhaps most revealing of Mr.. Khru-
Shchev'S current concept of a strategy
for victory was his Qualification of the
widely quoted boast that communism
would be the gravedigger for capitalism.
He meant it, he explained, not literally
with ShovelS (Which might even be a
synonym for bombS) but by organization
of the working classes" to the point
where 1--WE have unified society all over
the world, because all workers have the
same interest" Then, he said, victory
for communism would be inevitable.
1t cannot be assumed, of course,
that Mr.. Khrushchev'S pledge" against
initiating a military war, or his conf
dent outline of how victory is inevitable
through other means, assures any ter
mination of Soviet bomb rafting or even
the encouragement of brush fire" con-
f1ictS. If there is some respite now, pos
Sibly for purposes of moving another
step toward summit conference, it is
because there is potential advantage
calculated by the Kremlin. And if the
world UNDERSTANDABLE feels bit relieved
that even Mr.. KhruShchev does not wish
to press the trigger for Calamity" it
must likewise not forget that he is dedi-
Gated to and convinced of the eventual
triumph of an evil and oppressive SyS-
tenn. In calling his own forces to the
struggle" he was serving frank notice
that there is not yet an end in sight to
the need for an equally determined de-
Tense of freedom.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17

ers have told Congress, the total amount
Of local taxes that would be paid to the
District by a private employer Of COM
parable size to the Federal Government
would be $576 million-not SIS million.
So payment in lieu of real estate
taxes is neither a very realistic nor a
very desirable basis for the Federal pay
ment. What is required is an annual
payment of varying size, which is bound
directly to some specified ratio Of the
total city coSts-such as the 40 per cent
figure which Senator Morse has said he
intends to sponsor. The concept Of
fixed ratio payment worked we'll for
many years before 1t was abandoned in
the l920s. And no other system really
has worked fairly since then.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Foolish StoIemote

If congressional leaders are really
concerned about issues, they had bet
ter take an immediate interest in the
steadily worSening crisis over the ma
tional highway program. This is blowing
up to a storm of real political trouble
for someone, and Congress is sitting
squarely on the hot seat.
- For several months now, Capitol Hill
leaders have blithely ignored warnings
from President Eisenhower that the
massive highway program would begin
to fall apart this month unless some
thing were done to increase revenues to
the Federal highway trust fund. Well,
the worst has happened, only it's worse
than anyone expected. The adminiStra-
ton, as it threatened, has announced no
appointments of Federal aid funds
to become available in the fiscal year
starting in July, 1960-and this is of
critical Importance because highway de-
partmentS need this year of lead" time
! in order to plan and let contracts. In
addition however, the money shortage
has forced a drastic breakdown on eX-
penditureS this year, and this will signal
an immediate curtailment of activity
throughout the country.
The best way to break this foolish
financial Stalemate is for Congress to
grant the 112-cent-a-gallon increase in
the Federal gasoline tax which the Pres
ident has continually asked. This is
fair. 1t properly safeguards general
Treasury revenues from any further pill
laying. And we dare say that any pub
lie resistance, which the politicians seem
to fear so much, would be insignificant
compared to the reaction which GER
tainly will come unless something is
done now to get the construction pro-
gram rolling again.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Let's Get the Names

The question of whether members Of
the Capitol police force have accepted
"payoffs" from sightseeing guides
should not be permitted to die the quiet
death now seemingly desired by all
parties concerned. The charges that a
Shakedown racket was being conducted
needed to be proved true or false the
day they were raised by the guides, and
the need is no less today.
Three of the guides, who earlier
seemed eager to name the police involved
in the alleged payoffs, apparently lost
their zealouSneSS after 21a-hour closed
door meeting with their lawyer and with
Capitol Police Chief Sullivan. BY way
of explanation, they would say only
that they felt "intimidated" by Crimi-
nal Code provision dealing with the
bribery of Federal employees. Actually,
this may or may not pose a problem
for the guides. But, whether it does or
not, in no way alters the fact that
serious question has been raised about
the integrity of police. The charges were
made publicly, and every effort must
now be made to clear the record.
We feel sure the Senate Rules Com
mittee, which has jurisdiction over the
Capitol police, will not be satisfied to
drop the subject. The committee itself
may want to question the guides. And
a more expeditions way to resolve the
matter might well be to bring the guides
before grand jury to answer questions
about the incidents which they now
have turned into a mystery.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17

For the past year or so the
voteless but taxpaying citi-
zens of Washington have seen
one highway proposal after
another presented. Most OF
these proposals have several
disadvantages in common:
/. Tremendous cost. 2. ES-
thetic Disagreement Of some
of Washington's most beauti-
full areas. 3. The funneling
of increased vehicular trat-
fic into downtown Washing
ton.
The first two points may be
necessary from a long-term
planning view. The last is
not. More roads for more cars
for more commuters is less
a solution than the starting
of a vicious circle. Going on
the assumption that down.
town Washington cannot be
stretched like a balloon, a
plan to reduce metropolitan
vehicular traffic is in order.
We suggest that much OF
our transit problem originates
in the suburban areas sur
rounding the city. The key
stone of our downtown traf-
fic jam is the poor commuter
who yearly spends hundreds
of unhappy hours behind a
steering wheel.
If a member of a commut-
er's family could deliver him
to a suburban depot where
he could board a fast ex-
press electric train taking
him to the heart of the bust
ness district. in IS to 20
minutes. he would be happy
and the extra cost of a second
car in many families could
be eliminated.
The Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad maintains q right
of-way that circles the City
of Washington. The line
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
berryVlAles va.
Matter of Fact

Your issue OF July s car
ried a letter signed Gus
TONER" stating the writer
had been advised by the Po-
tomac Electric Power Co.
that the standard voltage
supplied for lighting is 125
volts.
We regret that this Gus
toner should have been so
informed, as the voltage
standard for service supplied
by the Potomac Electric
Power Co. for lighting pur-
poses has been 100 volts since
1910.
Design procedures and
operating practices are con-
stantly directed to the sup
plying of 100 volts to ouI
customers for lighting use
Light bulbs sold by dealers
for general use on Potomac
Electric Power Co. service
are properly rated at 100
volts in accordance with the
published standards Of the
company.
II. E. Yeide,
Manager Commercial Dept
Potomac Electric Power Co
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Which Way Out of Our Moddeninq Traffic Maze?

drew up the plan hopes Tor
citizen support. Why then
does it not ask for citizen
advice before it concretizeS
its daydreams?
Peter Glickert.
Il X 4
The transit survey offers
a program that is sound.
logical, necessary. and abso-
lutely impossible. Suppose
we build, at great cost, an
excellent rapid transit Sys-
TEN. Who would ride on it?
Not the average motorist,
who, if he wants to go some
where. can be separated from
his car about as easily as he
can be separated from his
skin. He will battle traffic
night and morning. putting
in an hour or two a day as
an unpaid chauffeur, and
spend 81 or $3.50 for a park
ing fee-then walk a mile
to his office-whereas for 40
cents he could ride a street.
car or bus and be deposited
at the door.
Some years ago all-day
parking was permitted
around the Ellipse. Motorists
would get there at 6 am.
and sleep three hours in their
cars, rather than leave home
at a reasonable hour and
travel by bus.
A rapid transit system
would be a reasonable solu-
ton for our traffic problems.
Therefore. it is out. When
someone comes up with a
completely irrational pro-
gram-such as paving over
half of the area of. the Dis
trict for freeways and park
ing lotS-that will get some
attention.
Lee SOmers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17

starts at the foot OF WlScoI1-
sin avenue in Georgetown,
parallels the c & o Canal to
near Chain Bridge passes
through the Bethesda-Chevy
Chase Kensington area,
thence to Silver Spring and
from there into Union Sta
ton. Four or five paSsen-
ger depots could be erected at
the proper points.
For the number of people
served. the cost of such a
system would be low and it
would create no eSthetic
burden as the rail line al
ready exists. Downtown COM
muter traffic would be mate
rally reduced and downtown
merchants would enjoy in
creased business from shopper
traffic that is presently driven
of by the commuter park
ing and traffic problem.
Ord Alexander.
= y
The Mass Transportation
Survey presented an impor-
tant document. but it GER
tainly gives the eastern part
of the District and Prince
Georges County the short
end of the stick. Also. it
leaves as many questions
unanswered as the first
episode of a soap opera.
For example: Where does
one leave his car when he
boards the subway at Suit
land Parkway? How are the
express buses going to get
from the Inner Loop to
downtown and still be worthy
of the title express? Not
one, but two freewayS end in
the lobby of the Capitol; is
the new east front going to
provide this much more
working space?
The commission which
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Brains and Arthritis Are Linked
By THOMAS R. HENRY

sensitive to sounds only when
attention already has been
called to them has Just been
reported through the Amer
lean Association for Ad-
vancement OF Science by a
group Of Army Medical Re-
search Center doctors.
Perhaps the discovery ex-
plains why one can listen to
a boring conversation with
out consciously hearing 1t.
The areas may constitute an
important factor in the
economy Of brain power.
The finding results from
exploration of the temporal
lobes (cortex areas Just back
of the ears) of cats with
electrodes which indicate
whether there has been any
response to a sound stimulus.
From these particular regions
there was no response what
Soever to a great many
sounds of no particular in
terest TO cats unless their at
tention first was focused on
the source of the sounds.
There are at least 10 of these
centers in each temporal lobe
and probably many more, the
Army experimenters found.
Typical Case
A typical case reported by
DR.. David H. Hubel and his
associates:
THE unit Zone of those to
which electrodes had been
applied could not be acti-
waited by clicks, tones or
noise from a loudspeaker.
Keys jingled outside the
room in which the cat was
isolated evoked responses
when the cat looked toward
the door, but not otherwise.
The experimenter picked up
a small piece of paper and
held it about II inches away
from the cat to the right and
left Of its ears. When the
paper was ruStled in the right
hand no response occurred
until the cat looked toward
it, whereupon a large burst
Of firing electrical nerve
cell response) so long as the
sound was produced.
Then if the paper in the
left hand was rustled, Moth
ing happened until the cat
turned its head in that di-
rection, Whereupon again the
unit responded. If the noise
was made to alternate be-
tween right and left hand,
responses occurred only to
the sound produced by the
hand toward which the cat
was looking"
1T is not easy to UNDER
stand" the Army doctors re-
port, why the auditory COR
tex should be populated by
so many cells that fail to re-
spond to auditory stimuli.
Perhaps these cells become
activated only when certain
other conditions are stimuli
taneously met. From our ex-
perimentS, one may conclude
that the neural processes re-
sponsible for attention play
an important role in deter
mining whether or not a
given stimulus proves ade-
quate. Unfortunately atten-
ton is an elusive variable
that no one has yet been able
to quantity"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Rails for Commuters

lam delighted to join with
George Y. Worthington III.
in his efforts at preservation
of the almost forgotten art Of
travel by train.
Mr.. Worthington has pro-
posed that citizens urge the
opening to commuter traffic
that portion of the B. & o.
Railroad which transports
freight through Rockville,
Maryland. to a terminal
point on the Potomac River
shore in Old Georgetown,
and that Mr.. o. Roy Chalk
who has previously sug-
gested the excellent monorail
take heed of an immediate
" possible mode of getting
from here to there and ar
range bus or limousine serv-
ice from the Georgetown
terminal of the railroad.
Travel by the B. & o.
Railroad would be thoroughly
in keeping with the comfort
able existence preferred by
Georgetowners and the an
Gent families of Maryland.
Perhaps the B. g. o. Of
ficerS and Mr.. Chalk could
arrange an excursion later
this season to test the de-
STABILITY of protected travel.
Sue Clegg.
The proposal of George Y.
Worthington III to have
buses, with Hanged wheels,
run alternately on highways
and railways into Washing
ton, is constructive. Only
railroads can handle the mass
transportation of the future
here.
But he adds that he does
not think commuters can be
persuaded to use "antiquateo.
dirty, slow, old railroad equip
ment." Mayhap Mr.. Worth
ington needs to travel by rail
a bit, to see what trains
look like today. There are no
Anticipated" cars entering
Washington Terminal today
Virtually every one is air-con-
ditioned; many are relatively
new. stainless steel. stream
lined cars; there are numer-
b., GUS Budd RDC cars on BIC
through trains and commutel
trains, and almost all cars
are modern.
1t is true that seats in some
cars are not too clean some
times. But trains are moi
SLOW" Average speed, Wash
ington-New York. by most
PR trains is So m.ph. Nc
motorist can equal this.
Franklin Snow.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Hons on Butler

Let all Democrats rise up
in righteous indignation at
the behavior of Paul Butler.
national chairman for the
Democratic Party. for his
continual attacks on the
Democratic leadership Of
Senator Lyndon johnson and
Speaker Sam Rayburn. two OF
the finest leaders and states
men in this country. MeSSrs.
johnson and Rayburn are
trying to get through Con-
gress the kind of legislation
that the majority of the peo-
pie want and the kind that
is good for the country, not
Just what is good for the
Democratic Party. They are
trying to avoid "extremism"
in any legislation. I hope they
will continue to do just that.
They have my complete con-
fidence.
1t is irksome to listen to
a little narrow-minded man
like Paul Butler. who has
done so very little for the
Democratic Party land Moth
ing for the country, criticize
men like Senator Johnson
and Speaker Rayburn. par
ticularly when it is well
known that Mr.. Rayburn has
already done more for the
Democratic Party than Paul
Butler could ever do if he
worked at it for the rest Of
his life. Paul Butler could not
carry the shoes of either OF
these two great legislators.
They will not allow them
selves to be taken in by the
ADA, the NAACP and a few
more left-wing organizations
as Mr.. Butler has for the
sake of a few votes for the
Democratic Party. This is ap-
parently what he is beefing
about.
1t would be bad for this
country indeed if the Demo-
cratic Congress acted accord
ing to the will of Paul Butler
or any other of the "extrem-
lists" or liberals" of either
party. We need moderation
on Capitol Hill, not extrem-
ism.
We don't need a change in
the Democratic leadership in
Congress. but we do need a
new national chairman for
the Democratic Party.
c. Andrews,
Maryland Democrat
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

About 40 years ago a
Washington man was struck
by lightning and killed while
he stood in his own doorway
in Takoma Park.
Drafts have something to
do with it.
The chimney comes in this
category.
1t is not advisable, perhaps,
to remain too close to a fire.
place, especially if the flue
is open.
A dreadful story with a
happy ending is that of the
man who stood in front Of
his fireplace with his legs
widely apart. A lightning
flash came down the Chin
ney, formed a sphere of fire,
and went right between his
legs. striking the wall and go
ing clean through. though it
was made of brick.
Lightning has been known
to strike a mans metal belt
buckle, run around his waist
and depart without harming
him other than a burn where
the melted buckle had been
and a pathway creased
around his waist.
Attitudes toward lightning
undoubtedly are learned in
childhood. Afterward, it is
pretty difficult to change
them.
Many humorous mothers
have made certain that their
children, even when grown,
tremble at the lightning flash
eS and recoil at each clap Of
thunder.
On the other hand, there
is no need for the foolish dis
play of bravery one some
times sees in a storm. 1t is
easy and sensible to avoid
drafts, avoid standing in
doors or remaining by open
windows, or touching metal
objects, especially electrical
devices.
1t may be felt that the CEN
trail part of a house is safer
than at the extremities, es-
pecially if there is a tree
nearby tall enough to fall on
the house.
AS terrible as lightning can
be, it is child's play compared
with the terrific power for
destruction now held in the
hands of fallible men.
Jove, with his bolts. was a
piker when we think of what
one misguided man might
now let loose on the world.