davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
Why the Spotlight Fell
On Young Van CIiburn
ny ROsANNA NOvAK
star star Writer

young artists. says Mr..
Chasins. he fell into a
pigeon hole. He was not top
billing and he was not cheap
and inexperienced enough TO
be a iill-in artist. Van
needed a girnmick. II Rus
STA could put up the first
satellite, Van could win the
Moscow award.
Successful. though he be.
Mr.. Chasins is advising Van
to decrease his concert APP
pearances to the minimum
and increase his repertoire.
In this overly lush pro-
motion-type biography, we
learn little about Van Cli-
burn as a person. Mr..
Chasins nearly disqualifies
as a music critic. until he
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12

to shepherd his friend, Adlai
Stevenson, into the White
House in 1852. 1t is rather
a report on his pilgrimage
from the top down in politics.
II started at the wrong
end" says Mr.. Mitchell,
whose efforts. previous to be-
coming national chairman,
were limited to his part in
the successful effort to get
Mr.. Stevenson into the gov
ernorship of Illinois in 1913.
when / came home to Illi-
nois in 1855, I was rejected"
New Political World
Thereupon Mr.. Mite ell
went to California and stu
died the grass roots. He
found the beginnings of a
whole new political world in
the club movement, which
was aimed at making the
amateur feel at home in pol
iticS. He came home to Illi-
nois and assisted in the for
nation Of rs new clubs.
In these organizations he
sees the beginning of the end
OF the power of the oldtime
political boss.
But, he emphasizes in Elm
Street Politics." he sees no
inevitable antagonism or even
war Of attrition between the
club and the clubhouse.
They can work together,
he says, as they did in New
York to put over the present
Governor of that State, Nell
son A. Rockefeller.
By Next Year
Mitchell predicts that In
1860, the clubs will really
come into their own.
In a rare show of nom
partisanship, Leonard A. Hall,
who was the Republican Ma
tional Chairman while Mitch
ell filled the same job for
the Democrats, has contrib
uted a foreword to the book.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
A Lively Collection
OF Ben Hecht Gems

which the author discusses
briefly his ideas on the short
story. He says he was never
deliberately dull Che was
never dull, I'd say) and adds:
It have disliked always
stories in which. right bang
in front Of you, nothing hap
pens. And I have dis
liked always stories that
tried to make me feel what
a subtle fellow I was to un-
derstand them. There is at
present q rash of this preten-
tious and inept vignette-
fiction-and all Of it as subtle
as a bad shave" &C. B. J.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
THE VAN CLIBURN LEG

THE VAN CLIBURN Leg
END. BY Abram Chasins
with villa Stiles. Double
day; Ss.95.)
It would not take a music
critic to know that lanky
wild-maned Van Cliburn
weaves a better story at the
piano than in this biography
Of his first "a years.
Abram Chasins, music di-
rector Of the New York Times
radio station, WQXR,
thought enough Of this young
pianist to attempt a portrait
Of the artist as a young man.
His Triumph
One year ago, Cliburn cap
tured the heart of the world
when he won the first prize Of
the Tchaikovsky Competition
in Moscow. Said Nikita
Khrushchev, young VAN
yushka" needed no confer
ence table TO be his favorite
American diplomat.
Raised at the piano in Kill
gore, Tex. Van early
learned that it was more fun
to practice his musical scales
than to roller skate. He was
popular in school and showed
leadership. He would have
made q champion basketball
player, say the coaches. But
Van wanted to play the pi-
ano.
The American public first
heard Of Van Cliburn in 1854
when he won the Levintritt
Award, followed by guest APP
pearances with major SYM
phony orchestras.
But like so many fine
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12

A distinguished and worthy
publication, America" the
Jesuit weekly, is observing its
50th anniversary this week.
Its special birthday issue Of
fers an impressive compendi-
UNI Of reviews by outstanding
contributors. Among the Sc
lections is an incisive exam
nation of that more-than-
usually-delicate subject this
year. Religion and Politics."
by the new Senator Nc
earthly, Eugene j., of Min
neSota.
We salute America for liv-
ing up to its motto, Speak
ing the truth with charity"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
Diognosticion Dissects
Our Foreign Policy

United States made with
Generalissimo Chang Kali
shek. The author reports
that the United States prom
iSed Nationalist China in
1854 not to diminish the
American garrison in Okina-
wa without consulting Taipei
first. In return, the author
said, Chang promised not to
invade the mainland without
consulting the United States.
EARL H. VOSS:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
FICTION

BEYOND A BIG NOUN
TAIN. BY Peter Decker.
(HaStingS House; $3.50
Based on the adventures
of early 10Th century fur
trappers on the Missouri
River, written by q New
York City dealer in rare
books of the early West.
SAVAGE HEART. BY Denton
Whitson. (Chilton Co.;
$3.50 An exciting adven-
ture story of a woman who
braved the wilderness of
Florida in 1880.
THAT DISTANT AFTER
NOON. BY Roy Fuller.
Macmillan Co.; $3.750
Life Of a newcomer in a
boys prep school in Eng
land. written by a British
lawyer.
THERESA'S CHOICE. BY
Rachel Cecil. Dodd, Mead
g. Co.: $500 Lady David
Cecil's first novel on a
young girl growing up in
English society in the 1920s.
THE TYPHOON'S EYE. BY
Preston Schoyer. John
Day Co.; S4.500 An Ameri-
can club woman goes to
Hong Kong to spend SIS, 900
on charity. only to find
that everybody wants her
money.
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY
GEORGE III AND THE
HISTORIANS. BY Herbert
Butterheld. macmillan
Co.; So A revised edition
Of the original volume pub
lished in England in 1857
by professor Of history
at Cambridge University.
THE FRENCH NAVY IN
WORLD WAR ii. BY Rear
Admiral Paul Auphan and
Jacques Mordal. UNITED
States Naval Institute;
$50 Rear Admiral Au-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12

A TREASURY OF BEN
HEIGHT Grown; $4.95) con-
tains 20 short stories. the
play "Winkelberg" and some
other writings, including a
transcript Of the authors
selection on televiSion of the
80 greatest books"
Ben Hecht is perhaps q
better short story writer
than novelist, and some Of
his finest stories are in this
anthology. Almost as in
teresting as anything in the
volume, to me, is some in
troductory thoughts" in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12

Drury's "ADvISE AND CON-
SENT" a novel about the
power and the glory and the
occasional squalor of politi-
cal life in Washington. The
Book Of the Month Club and
the Readers Digest Book
Club will offer the novel,
his first, by the way, in either
August or September. Mr..
Drury is a member of the
Washington Bureau of the
New York Times.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
Birthday

Walter Lippmann's 10th
birthday, on September %,
will be marked by publication
of walter LIPPMANN
AND HIS TINES" a study
and appreciation to be edited
by two colleagues of the
fourth estate, Marquis Childs
and James Reston.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
Local Author

Elk local boy makes good
note: Clay Putnam, former
teacher of English at George
Washington University, has
just seen publication of "THE
RUINED CITY," a novel
about three generations of
an Oklahoma family. He now
teaches English in San Fran
cisco. His wife, the former
Maureen Gothlin, was a
Washington reporter for
UPI.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12

finally admits that Van is
emotional. humanistic but
immature.
The true story Of his sue
cess should be told in SO
years.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
A Behind-the-News Look at the APP
Through the Eyes of Kent Cooper
KENT COOPER AND THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS; AN

KENT COOPER AND THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS; AN
AUTOBIOGRAPHY (Ran-
dom House; So.
The title Of Kent Cooper's
autobiography is particularly
appropriate.
During his IL years with
the Associated Press. start
ing as q travelling trafiic in
spector in 1910 and ending
in 1851 when he retired as
executive director, the AP
never was to him a job, a
position, a career. 1t was
the consuming interest Of his
mature years. His plans and
ambitions for it (not for
HIMSELF were realized largely
through his effort.
Slowly, over the years, for
1t involved breaking down
prejudice, provincialiSm and
a powerful set Of cartels with
foreign news agencies. Mr..
Cooper guided the AP to
the point of his cherished
dream, so that it could bring
accurate, unbiased news from
its own correspondents all
over the world and could
send out its own report Of
American happenings to
newspapers everywhere.
A Helping Hand
When tx. c." went to
work for the APP, a youth
Of 80. he had been working
for the rival United Press.
He had some plans to save
the AP money on its traffic
operation, but he wasn't sure
he wanted a Job. He had
the courage to tell the found
ing executive, Melville E.
Stone, that he headed "a
moribund press association"
Mr.. Stone was angry, but
then he smiled and said:
Wouldn't you hold out a
helping hand to save a dying
institution" Mr.. Cooper said
he would.
The young newspaperman,
who had been a reporter in
Indiana and a travelling rep
resentative for the United
Press, found in the AP a
highly respected national
news service, which had made
q reputation for accuracy
and thoroughneSs in covering
the news. But MIR. Cooper
felt that by the standards Of
the new century its report
was Stodgy and dull, limited
in its interests. AS he rose
in the AP, becoming gen.
eral manager in 1925, he put
into effect many reforms.
For the first time AP re-
porterS got by-lines.
More ColorfuI Writing
A more colorful form Of
writing replaced a painfully
formal method of reporting.
The APP report spread out
to embrace everything of in
terest to newspaper readers
science, the arts, books,
Hollywood. Slang was no
longer forbidden, and sports
writers for the first time
could call a certain ball club
the Cubs, not the Chicago
team of the National League.
Pictures. finally wirephoto,
became a vital part of the re-
port.
But Of far more impor-
lance to the dynamic new
executive than those details
Of news presentation was the
fact that beyond the bor-
ders of the United States
the Associated Press was
firmly shackled by car
tells. For instance, Havas, q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES
star Book critic

bInhll, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
French news agency, could
prevent the Associated Press
from sending news to South
America. Reuters of Eng
land had the British Empire
sewed up and no one else
could send regular reports
from its then far far-dung
possessions to North America,
Japan or China. There were
Wolf Of Germany and 9TH
ers. before the first world
war.
Breaking the Barriers
Mr.. Cooper felt that these
government sponsored news
agencies were suppressing
news unfavorable to their
countries and sending much
propaganda. In the interest
Of international understand
ing and peace these barriers
to the free exchange Of news
everywhere must be shat
tered, he insisted. They were,
but it took a long time.
Many of us who once
worked for the Associated
Press did not realize half
that the man who was direct
ing operations, whom we
rarely encountered except in
the form of occasional mes
sages on the wire signed
X. c., was contribu ting
toward making Associated
Press what it is today-the
worlds greatest agent Tor
spreading news.
Mr.. Cooper, while he has
told here what should be told
for the record. meaning MS
tory, never once claims sole
credit for the expansions and
reforms he ushered in. You
never lose sight of the fact
that the A. P. is a mutual
association, not run for
profit, owned by its members
and controlled by its direc-
tors. There are many in
dividual tributes to directors
and warm appreciation Of the
achievements, heroic in war
time, inspired and enter
prising in peace, of A. P.
staffers.
A Broadened Membership
K. C. foresaw long before
it happened the Supreme
Court decision making A. P.
membership open to all
papers and abrogating the
old practice of allowing a
member to block election OF
a rival paper in its city. In
his early years as general
manager he realized that the
A. P. would be stronger for
more members, and he re-
calls how the late Frank B.
Moves, president of The
Evening Star and president
of A. P. for 38 years, helped
him persuade certain mem
bers to waive their objec-
tons to new members.
Mr.. Cooper credits the sue
cessful suit which the Gov
eminent started to end the
A. P. monopoly" to Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The President was repeatedly
incensed when his friend,
Marshall Field, wanted an
A. P. membership for his new
paper, the Chicago Sun, and
was prevented from obtain
ing it by Col. Robert McCor-
mick, publisher of the Trib-
une, IAN enemy of the New
Deal"
Mr.. Cooper told something
of his fight for worldwide
freedom of news in two pre-
vious books -"B arriers
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
READING AND WRITING
Up From the Bottom
In National Politics
By MARY McGRORY
Star stan Writer

Stephen A. Mitchell former chairman Of the Democratic
National Committee returned to Washington this week.
politician but author. His first book, ELM STREET
POLITICS, comes of the presses tomorrow.
Rather surprisingly, Mr.. Mitchells book is not about
those stirring national he was trying
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12

phan resigned as Chief Of
Naval Operations in France
to join the resistance
movement at the begin
ming of World War II.
Mr.. Mordal served under
him.
THE LIBERATION OF
ITALY. BY Luigi Villari.
&C. c. Nelson Publishing
Co.; So
MEMOIRS OF A RENAIS-
SANCE POPE. Edited by
Leona C. Gabel. Trans
lated by Florence A. Gragg.
&c. P. Putnam's Sons; So
An abridgment of the
only autobiography ever
left by a Pope, "The Com
mentaries of Plus H."
A RAM IN THE THICKET.
By Frank c. Robertson.
Hastings House Publish
erS; S4.950 The story of the
authors father. an early
settler in the Mormon
country.
THE REBEL EMPEROR. BY
Flayia Anderson. Double
day & Co.; $4.95.) The en-
peror was Hung, a young
religious fanatic who lead
the TAPPING Rebellion in
Central China in 1851.
GENERAL
BROADWAY, U. S. S. r. BY
Faubion Bowers. (Thomas
Nelson & Sons; So What
has happened to the Soviet
spirit of adventure in the
theater Of the l920s, by the
author Of ''Theater in the
East"
SOULE'S DICTIONARY OF
GLIS H SYNONYMS.
Edited by Alfred D. Shelf
field. Little, Brown g. Co.:
$4.S5.) A reissue Of the
widely used word finder.
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH
OUT BEING RICH. BY
William NJ. Strong and A.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
LOOKING BACK
PuSternuk
Confident
OfZhivogo

l REMEMBER. BY Bori,
Pasternak. pantheon;
$3.50
This brief sketch for an
autobiography by the author
OF DIR. zhivago" does not
contribute materially to the
facts Of his life set forth in
a previous memoir. safe
Conduct" But such is FASTER
nak's stature in the world to-
day, that every hint and
whisper from or about him is
a matter of moment.
The book was written after
"Dr. zhivago," which he calls
my chief and most import
tant work, the only one I am
not ashamed Of and for which
I can answer with the ut
most confidence" 1t, too,
was brought out of Russia by
an agent of the italian pub
Usher, Feltrinelli, the pub
Usher of ''Dr. Zhivago."
His Early Life
II Remember" is a dis
jointed account Of the poets
early life in the artistic
household once visited by
Tolstoi, where all the in
fiuences were aesthetic and
humanistic. The old Russia
speaks on every page. In a
passage relating to his child
hood, Pasternak writes that
from a certain moment came
"a feeling of terrifying and
breathtaking pity for woman
and an even uncomfortable pity
for my parents who would
die before me, and whom I
would have to save from the
tortures Of hell by doing
ONE t hing unimaginably
wonderful, something that
had never, never been done
before"
He writes Of his years as a
struggling poet, when having
renounced music for lack Of
a true pitch. he moved in the
frenetic circles of the angry
young men of Moscow, who
quarrelled endlessly among
themselves. 1.-THE proper
thing" he writes was to have
a high opinion of oneself and
ones talents. to strut about
and be impudent, and how
ever much I hated it, I strove
to keep in step with all Of
them so as not to fall behind
my friends"
In Heartbreak
He evokes the friends Of
those years in accents Of
heavy heartbreak. But it is
only from the notes that we
learn that Yashvilli COM
mitted suicide and that Ia
bidze was shot in the purges
Of the 30s.
And finally, we get the
guarded, wary explanation
from the beleaguered old poet
for turning his back on the
terrible events he survived
the new trials with which
this world confrontS the hui
man personality and mans
honor. pride and endurance"
This is Pasternak's snug
gled note to the world: "One
would have to write about it
in a way to make the heart
stop beating and the hair
stand on end. To write about
it in an ordinary and COM
monplace way =. is not only
Senseless and useless; to write
like that would be both dis
honest and base"
M. Meg.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02
C. Ostertag,
Elk Resident
Here, Dies

Charles Ostertag, a Rockville
resident from 1910 until 1948,
died last week in Atlanta, Ga,
While in Rockville he was the
southern regional sales manager
of the Upsom Company.
He was member of the Mont.
gomery Lodge 1875 of the Ma,
sonic Order and also belonged to
the James F. Allen chapter,
King Solomon Council and the
Montgomery County Com
mandry No. Is of the knights
Templar.
He Is survived by his wife,
Agnes Keller Ostertag, a daugh.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02
Black Ankle Names
Once AbOundedH Here

The Rockville Rotary Club
this week urged longtime coun-
tians with long memories to
write in with once well-known
but now forgotten names of
the county.
For instance, Damascus was
once known to travellers as
'Treat Or Travel" and nearby
Friendship was called "Razor
Blade" according to Wilton ].
Boswell, of Brookeville, county
amateur historian.
Boswell addressed the Rotar-
ians last week. He told the club
that early landowners in what
is now Montgomery County had
to travel to Port Tobacco be-
cause this area was "back coun-
try" in Charles County.
This whole area was Charles
County when a Col. Darnall was
given a grant called "Girls Por-
ton" in the Silver Spring area.
Later settlers had to record
their claims in charlestown, on
the Patuxent, which became the
county seat of Prince Georges
when that county was formed
in 1895. At that time, Boswell
said, Montgomery County was
known as Scotland Hundred.
After 1748, Boswell told the
Rotarians, Montgomery County
was a part of Frederick County
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02
be three or fours years old for

be three or tours years old fol
long.
Once they 60 to school, they
are not all yours any more
They belong to society, their
teacher, their friends; you will
become second best.
You are much more fortunate
than was when mine were four
and five. l lived in Prince
Georges where there are no kin
dergartens. Prince Georges
County residents would gladly
double the dime you suggest
just to get a kindergarten.
Pre-school nurseries are fol
children whose mothers are
working. These coop nurseries
are just another form of baby
sitting. l helped In a coop nurs
cry and to be honest, I'll have
to admit that the teacher Is just
baby-sitter for two hours, try
ing to keep all her little charges
happy and amused.
May ] suggest, Mrs. Poor, that
you take your nursing program
to the neighborhood mothers and
work out a way In which you
take turns caring for each
others children for a morning.
Montgomery County Is in
need of more classrooms and
teachers for the present enroll
ment. They say our present
taxes cannot cover our present
needs. If our taxes have to go
up, even for only a dime, let it
be for something we need. Free
baby-sitters are for the birds.
M, r. L
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02

W find ourselves hundreds of
miles from the nearest relative
who could and would relieve an
overweight mother occasion.
ally.
Let the : critic Of nursery
schools say that It Is absolutely
wonderful to have full charge OF
several small children all day
and all night without any let.up
for six or seven years. May
such a critic live by that creed!
Several Of US mothers have
formed The Committee for Pre-
Schools In Montgomery County
and we are hoping for public
support. If you are interested
in joining US. call any of the fol
lowing telephone numb RS:
Whitehall 6,3967; VIII. 6.7745;
VIII. 6-3573; VIII. 6.1598; VIII. 6.
4568, or VIII. 6-4419.
Florence Poor
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02
Or Terrible!
Are 7ar-SuPported
Pre-SchOOLs Good?

Sentinel reader Mrs Florence Poor, apparently
preached controversial issue when she urged in
Sentinel ettertotheedor that public funds be pay
for of prechool nurseries to be conducted at
county recreation ceners Mothers could be hand help
keep the cost minma she points out and such schools do
help children socially mentally physically and psychological
y Her critics charge such program free abysng at
the expense of the taxpayer The Sentinel herewith presents
arguments for and again the program sent in by Mrs Poor
and woman who asked that she be identified only
"MRL" The Editor
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02

until it became Montgomery
County in 1776.
Early county hamlets often
had picturesque names, Boswell
said. Olney originally was
known as Mechanicsville. Etchi'
son was called Ragtown because,
Boswell said, residents took to
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02
Against

First / want you to under
stand that / am a mother of
two-one 6-year-old and one 10
year old-and / remember well
how it was when I didn't have
any time for myself when my
pre-schoolers were at home.
The dime you suggest should
be added to our taxes for pre-
school nurseries seems small
enough, but when combined with
other incidentals, it all adds up.
1 felt that what you are sug-
costing is free baby-sitting at
the expense Of the taxpayer.
When five schools in our coun-
ty have to continue another year
on double shifts, 1t is really out
of line for anyone to suggest a
nursery for pre-schoolers. The
children now on double shifts
are getting only one-half the ed
ucation that they are entitled to.
And believe me, those first
and second-graders need full
day of schooling.
Ten cents toward more class
rooms at those five schools
would be more in order today.
What you suggest, Mrs. Poor,
Is that the county take over
your job of raising your pre-
schoolers and the cost of it
should be paid with taxpayers
money. A free baby.sitter, so
you and other selfish mothers
can have time to go out and en-.
Joy yourselves.
What you don't realize. Mrs,
Poor, is that you should hold on
to your child as long as you can
enjoy his company. He won't
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-04-02

using rags to stuff hrokeA WIN
dow panes. Laytonsville was
called Cracklintown after a Gull,
nary custom of the residents
who deep fried fatty residue
from hogs called eracklins.
Boswell repeated the story of
how Damascus often was re-
ferred to as Black Ankle: it
seems that when ladies walked
in that towns black mud streets,
they lifted their skirts to keep
them from getting muddy and
ogling gents were treated to the
pretty sight of muddy ankles.